


Little White Shoes

by i_write_fanfics_to_procrastinate



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Baby, Deviates From Canon, During and Post RE6, Established Relationship, F/M, Family, Fluff, Happy Ending, Pregnancy, Romance, Unplanned Pregnancy, aeon baby, ends with fluff, multi-chapter, starts with a little angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-17 14:55:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28850934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_write_fanfics_to_procrastinate/pseuds/i_write_fanfics_to_procrastinate
Summary: Simmons is playing games and keeping secrets. Meanwhile, Ada has a secret of her own, and she’ll do anything to protect it. And after the events in China, how can she and Leon adjust to the new normal?
Relationships: Leon S. Kennedy/Ada Wong
Comments: 42
Kudos: 71





	1. Chapter 1

Ada limped down the dim metallic hall, leaning against the bulkhead of the quickly sinking submarine. The faint smell of sulfur made her stomach flip and twist into knots, and she cursed herself.  _ This was a wild goose chase, Ada.  _ She was putting everything at risk coming here.  _ Everything _ she cared about. Another wave of nausea rolled over her as she took in a breath. Still… she had decided to come because something wasn’t right. Something about Simmons leading her in a little game like this didn’t seem… like him. His little recording from six months ago was a step in the right direction and somewhat confirmed her suspicions. And her suspicions being confirmed was  _ dangerous _ . For her, and her future.  _ Don’t worry. I’ll be taking care of this and then...  _ Then what? After this was taken care of she had to find Leon. 

The submarine rocked violently and Ada stumbled, gagging.  _ Come on, now. Almost there.  _ Water was rising fast. She only had a few moments to hack into the torpedo system to get off this lost cause of a sub. Another wave of nausea.  _ Just a few more minutes and we’ll be safe.  _ The chime of a call made her pause, only for a moment as Simmons’ face appeared in the pale blue light. 

“Find anything interesting?” 

Ada suppressed a scoff, focusing on typing, below her the water levels were still rising. She didn’t have much time. “A recording from six months ago,” she replied, exuding only calm. 

“Then the trip was worthwhile.” 

Despite Ada’s best efforts, he seemed to catch sight of her grimace. It was nausea again, something she was sick and tired of already. If this sub didn’t reek of boiled eggs, and if it wasn’t rocking so violently… 

“What’s the matter?” Simmons asked. She could almost hear the gloating in his voice like he was saying he knew something she didn’t know.  _ How childish _ . “You still haven’t figured it out?” 

_ Figured out what? That you’re a piece of work?  _ Just a little bit more…

“Tomorrow the U.S. will suffer a bioterrorist attack. After that, China. And then major cities all around the world will suffer the same fate at the hands of Neo-Umbrella’s very own…  _ Ada Wong _ .” 

Hm. She smirked a little, hanging up before he could continue. Done. Now she could get off this sinking ship,  _ literally _ . “If you think I’m going to sit back and be your scapegoat, Simmons, you’ve got another thing coming.” 

* * *

_ Just like Raccoon City all over again.  _ Leon took a deep breath, brushing his sopping hair away from his eyes and watching the light from the explosion burn away the dark of the night sky just outside of Tall Oaks. Except, this time, he knew there was more at stake. Simmons was still out there, and another bioterrorism attack had struck China.  _ We have to stop him. That’s the only way to end this madness.  _

“Come on, we’ve got work to do,” he said to his partner, turning to trek back to civilization. What was the nearest town from Tall Oaks, again? But just as he turned branches parted and the familiar figure of Ada appeared. She smiled coyly, her hand on her hip. 

“So… China, huh?” 

“Ada—” 

Her smile dropped away, and she crossed her arms, raising her chin a little. He hated that when he looked at her he still felt weak. She was so beautiful, strong… and even  _ now _ after what he had seen on that tape in Simmons’ lab she still meant  _ everything _ to him. “I know you have questions. We need to talk.” She glanced over at Helena with a narrowed gaze. Leon’s partner raised her hands and backed up towards the lake. 

“Alright. I’ll give you two a moment then.” Her eyes were still red from crying, and Leon’s heart hurt for her. He had seen enough shit in his lifetime, but he would never get used to it, not  _ this  _ anyway. Losing those you loved… it was worse than any curse. 

Leon let out a breath, glancing up at the woman in red in front of him. “Since when do you voluntarily answer questions?” 

For a moment she actually looked hurt, pursing her lips, and narrowing her eyes, before she spoke. “You know I didn’t before because if we had stayed there a moment longer we would be buried,” she said, shifting her weight. “You saw the tape, didn’t you?”

“How—?” 

“I saw the way you hesitated when your friend over there—Helena, was it?—raised her gun towards me. You have  _ never _ hesitated before, Leon. Don’t you remember Raccoon City?”

He felt a lump in his throat, of course he did. He had taken a bullet for her. And goddammit, he’d do it again, without hesitation. “So you know about it, the tape. Ada, what the hell are you? … What the  _ fuck _ is going on?!” He was so confused, it was constricting, and dizzying. Ada had always been a mystery, but not like this. Especially in recent years, he had been so sure he knew her. 

“Yes, I saw the tape as well. We don’t have enough time for me to explain in detail,” Ada said, “Already there are infected in China. And you know we need to catch the next flight there. But…” she paused, “I  _ can  _ assure you that whatever the hell was on that tape… it wasn’t human and it wasn’t  _ me _ .” Leon met her eyes and he knew just from one glance that she was telling the truth. 

“Alright,” he sighed, nodding once. He reached out, tenderly touching her shoulder, just as Helena returned from the lakeside. 

“We need to go.” She said, “You saw the footage, Leon. It’s bad.”

“I know,” he glanced at Ada, “You coming?”

Ada smiled, “You know I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’ve got my own business to take care of in China anyways.” 

Leon frowned, studying her for a moment. He knew there wasn’t time to question her right now, but he would have questions later. She smiled and winked. “Don’t worry, handsome. There’ll be plenty of time to answer questions on the plane.” 

* * *

They had stayed the night at the airport, sleeping on the benches, waiting for their 5am flight. It might have been faster to travel alone, but Ada had to admit that she had been relieved to be with Leon. Even though it had only been a week since they were last together, for some reason it was a relief to see him again. It had been a hotel in DC where they last met. _“Finally. A good vacation,”_ he had said, reaching out and taking her hand. And then his expression had softened, _“I missed you.”_ It was harder for her to admit, but she always felt the same way. She longed for those days when it could be just the two of them as well. Now, seeing him run his hands through his blonde hair, and drape his dark jacket over the back of an airport chair, she felt a warmth kindle in her heart and she rested a hand on her middle, just for a moment. _When we get there, Leon, please be safe. I’ve got my own things to do, to catch an imposter._ But she couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud. 

It was dark, far past midnight when Helena finally fell into a fitful sleep across from them. Leon sat down beside Ada, glancing over at Helena and then letting out a soft sigh of relief,

“Good, it’s been a long day. She needs the rest.” He gently bumped his shoulder against Ada, almost as if he were asking for permission. 

She was not able to hide her smile and gently took his hand, entwining their fingers together. He took that as a yes, and dropped his head against her shoulder, relaxing completely into her embrace. She loved the way he relied on her in moments like this, the way he trusted her and gave himself to her completely. 

“Once this is over, let’s take a vacation,” He mumbled, pressing a soft kiss to her jaw. It was a nice thought. She gently brushed her fingers through his hair.  _ Yes. Maybe that would be the perfect time to finally tell him.  _ She had thought for a little while now about how she might break the news to Leon. There had been plenty of fun ways to do so that she had read about. She wasn’t particularly fond of any of them. But she knew that  _ Leon _ would love the surprise after he got over the initial shock. So, she had decided she might do something fun, one of the silly things she had heard about. 

She hadn’t thought of when she would do it… but on her last mission she had to pass through a department store, and she had spotted the shoes.  _ Tiny _ white shoes. She had paused, standing in the middle of the aisle and staring at the little white sneakers. She had never seen shoes so small, or… if she had she hadn’t thought much of it.  _ Newborn,  _ the package read. She bought a pair. She would give them to Leon when the time was right to tell him. 

“Ada?” Leon whispered, “Are you asleep?”

“No,” She said, “I’m sorry, I was thinking a vacation sounds nice.”

“Yeah, just you and me,” Leon sighed. 

_ Right. Just… the  _ two _ of us.  _ Ada thought, resting her head against Leon’s, and her hand against her middle. 

She had not slept well at all, and when they finally boarded the plane, the smell of someone’s breakfast made her stomach twist into knots.  _ Great. And to think we made it through the Cathedral and the lab without any problems. Why now?  _ And that was just the beginning. It wasn’t long before she left Leon and Helena to talk in favor of gagging over the toilet in the tiny plane restroom.  _ This is terrible _ . How much longer would she have to deal with this? Another month? If she was  _ lucky, _ not any longer. 

There was a knock on the door. 

“Occupied,” Ada huffed. 

“Ada, it’s me,” Leon’s voice said. Ada groaned. 

“Leave me alone, Leon.”

“You were looking really sick earlier,” Leon said, “Are you alright?” 

She groaned, wiping her mouth and standing straight to throw open the tiny door. “I’m fine.” She said, trying to muster up confidence enough to look it. But another wave of nausea came over her and she choked, turning around quickly to resume her former position over the toilet. 

“Ada!” Leon leaned over and held her short hair away from her face. “Are you sick?!”

“No, I’m fine—”

“This is  _ not _ fine. What’s going on?”

“Nothing. I’m not sick, Leon. It’s—” 

“Stop lying to me!” Leon said, exasperated. But Ada could hear the pain in his voice. “Does this have to do with that tape?”

“What?! No!” She glanced up at him, “I already told you, that had nothing to do with me.”

“Then what the hell aren’t you telling me?!”

“I’m pregnant!” 

Those words were followed by silence. Ada stared up into Leon’s wide blue eyes. She had not meant for that to come out, hadn’t meant for him to learn this way… But she couldn’t let him know how upset she was that her plans had been completely dashed just by accidentally blurting out those two simple words. “It’s just… morning sickness,” she whispered, “I’m fine.” 

Leon blinked, clutching the doorframe tight as if to steady himself. “Wait.. wha…” She watched as his expression shifted, his brow furrowed in confusion, “Wha… what?” Before she could respond, the whole plane rocked, throwing her off balance. Leon reached out to catch her by her arm. The movement made Ada feel sick all over.  _ Come on, let me focus.  _ This wasn’t normal plane turbulence, not even from the storm they were flying through. Something was wrong. There was murmuring, and then shouting among the other passengers. Ada felt the plane dip down suddenly, towards the ground. 

“Leon!” Helena gasped, “The cockpit!” She dashed past him, down the hall of the plane to the pilot’s cabin. Leon and Ada followed close behind. 

They burst into the small room to the sound of beeping instruments and the sight of flashing warning lights. The copilot lay dead on the ground, and in his seat the pilot himself had grown into a cocoon… a husk… that was just beginning to crack open. 

“Helena!” Leon shouted, gesturing towards the display. Helena nodded, drawing her weapon as Leon stepped in front of Ada, drawing his own. “Ada, stay back.” 

She shook her head, knowing he meant well, but there was no way she was staying out of this fight, not when their lives were on the line. She drew her bowgun, loading a bolt and pulling it back. “Leon, step aside,” she said calmly. 

“Ada—” 

_ Fine, I’ll do it.  _ She stepped to the side, and just as the creature emerged from its shell, she pressed down on the trigger, releasing the bolt. She watched, with the smile of a victor, as the bolt pierced the creature’s skull, hopefully embedding itself directly into its brain. The creature let out a wail, and Helena unloaded her clip into what appeared to be its head. Ada loaded another bolt into her weapon, Leon stepped forward, raising his gun, “Think he can still fly a plane?” 

The plane rocked, causing Ada to stumble. The creature was trying to get away, a spray of blue smoke… or gas… from its pores filled the cockpit, turning Ada’s vision blue. Helena choked. Ada covered her mouth and nose.  _ Don’t breathe. _ Leon didn’t hesitate, firing his gun quickly at the creature as it launched itself towards the vent.  _ Bang, bang, bang _ … blood splattered across the plane’s piloting instruments. Ada fired one last bolt, straight into the thing’s head once more, and it crumpled to the ground, a disgusting blob. 

The blue gas… or whatever it was… was dispersing through the vents. “We need to stabilize this thing!” Leon gasped, diving for the controls. 

“There’s something wrong with the pressure bulkhead,” Ada said, gesturing to one of the many, many dials on the display in front of the pilot seat. “I’ll go adjust it at the tail of the plane, but—” 

“No way,” Leon said. “It’s too dangerous.” 

Before Ada could argue, Helena interrupted, “I’ll go.” She was reloading, locking the clip into her pistol, before brushing her dark locks out of her eyes. “You try and keep us from crashing, Kennedy.” 

“You’ll need two people,” Ada said coolly. “Either Leon or I will have to go with you.” 

She glanced at the man who was just getting situated in the former pilot’s seat. His eyes widened in realization. Either Ada went with Helena into the unknown, and Leon stayed to pilot the plane. Or Ada stays, and Leon goes. She could see the hesitation in his blue eyes, the calculations he was making. His eyes widened as if he was hearing something else. 

“Hunnigan?” He said, pressing two fingers to the device at his ear. “Yeah, the bulkhead. Helena is going to go take care of that. You’re going to have to guide me through piloting this damned plane.” 

His eyes met Ada’s and he nodded once. She could still see all the questions he had, just on the tip of his tongue. He was confused, reeling, trying to process what she had accidentally shared with him even through all this mess.  _ I’ll have time to explain later.  _ The plane rocked, and Ada stumbled but caught herself against the wall of the cockpit. And then she turned to follow Helena out of the pilot’s cabin.

Leon’s partner shoved open the cockpit’s door, only to find that the blue smoke had filtered through all the vents. Passengers were panicking, stumbling, and then reawakening... pale eyes, dark veins… 

“Shit,” Helena spat. 

“Ada—” Leon warned. 

“Don’t worry,” Ada said, offering him an arrogant smirk, “This is nothing,” she said, raising her bowgun, “A walk in the park.” 

“Helena—”

“Focus on what you’re doing, Leon,” Helena said. “We’ll pull through.” 

The turbulence was awful, making Ada feel worse. The passengers, now zombies, were not making things any easier. Helena was quiet until they made it to the tail of the plane. Together they turned the wheel to readjust the pressure until it was back in position. And then she paused, reloading her gun, and eyeing Ada with suspicion. “What did you say to Leon?” 

Ada narrowed her eyes, putting a hand on her hip, “What do you mean?” 

“He’s acting strange,” Helena said. 

“Do you  _ really _ know him that well?” Ada retorted. 

“Well, no,” Helena frowned, “But he  _ was _ acting different in the cockpit.” 

Ada shrugged her shoulders, “It’s a stressful situation. We should get back to the front.” She was lying through her teeth. She knew Leon’s judgment was clouded. But he was ever the survivor. “Have confidence in Leon. He’s fine.” Though, maybe she was saying that more for her own sake than Helena’s. 

* * *

Leon took in a deep breath, blinking awake, smoke filling his lungs. He choked, coughing violently.  _ Where…  _ He blinked again to try and clear his vision.  _ The plane!  _ He choked, quickly pulling himself from the captain’s chair and to his feet. He could see the flickering of flames beyond the ajar door of the cockpit. And then he remembered. 

“Ada!” He stumbled to the door, pushing on it with all his might to try and get through. “Ada!” He slammed his shoulder against the metal. “Come on you piece of—” the door gave way, and Leon practically fell into the passenger cabin. 

“Leon! Over here!” Helena shouted, from somewhere beyond the first few rows of seats. Leon pushed his way through the rows, stumbling over a body, catching himself on the armrest of a seat, and finally landing on his knees beside Helena and Ada. The latter was just seeming to sit up, brushing her dark hair away from her eyes. 

“Hey,” Leon said, “We gotta get out of here.” He gently took Ada’s arm, but she pulled away. 

“I’m fine,” she said lamely. 

“She was sick again,” Helena informed her partner. 

“I’m  _ fine _ ,” Ada insisted. “Let's get the hell out of here.” 

The hatch of the plane had been thrown open upon their crash landing. Helena slipped out first, and Leon turned, offering Ada a hand. “Don’t push your luck,” she huffed, but she took his hand anyway. She looked pale. 

“Hey,” he said, squeezing her hand gently as they walked down the wing of the plane. “Are you doing alright?” Her biting words in the tiny plane bathroom were still echoing through his mind.  _ I’m pregnant. _ He knew, she didn’t even have to tell him, he knew that the baby was his. How many furtive meetings had they had, weekends together—at his apartment or in hotel rooms? How many times had he held her in his embrace, uttering her name on heavy breaths, whispering tender things against her bare skin?  _ I love you _ . So, why hadn’t she told him before? 

“I’m fine,” Ada said again, and then she paused, her expression softened glancing into his eyes, “Leon… I  _ never _ meant to tell you like that.” And he saw pain there, the way she bit her lip, the way she glanced away. 

“We’ll talk about it later,” he said, as much as he was desperate to understand, desperate to know more. How far along was she? When did she find out? What…  _ what next?  _ Never, ever had they talked about children. He had always wanted kids, but it had seemed an impossibility. 

“Leon! Come on!” Helena called from down below. 

“After this is all over,” Ada said, “I promise.” The way she met his eyes when she said that… he knew not to take her promise lightly. She  _ meant _ what she said. Leon helped her down the wing and Helena reached out a hand to help them both to the solid concrete below. 

“Not exactly how I expected we’d make it to China,” Leon said, running his fingers through his hair. 

“There’s no time to lose,” Helena said, “We need to find Simmons.” 

Ada reached out brushing her hand against Leon’s shoulder. He turned to meet her eyes. “There’s someone else here,” she said, just as two figures came around the corner ahead of them. 

“Leon?” The young woman of the couple dashed towards them, and Leon instantly recognized her. Relief followed by confusion filled him. What in the world was going on here?! He had too many questions and too little time. 

“Sherry?” He asked. “What are you doing here?” He glanced over at the tall young man standing behind Sherry. He didn’t know him. The young man looked equally suspicious of Leon, his brows drawn together, his blue eyes narrowed. 

“I’m on protective detail!” Sherry said, “What are you doing here?” 

“More importantly, what is  _ she _ doing here?” The young man spat, gesturing towards Ada.  _ What? _ Leon narrowed his eyes, his jaw tightening.

“What are you talking about?” He asked. Ada and this man must have crossed paths before. Otherwise, what did he mean?

“She’s the one that got us locked up for six whole months!” The young man snapped, taking a step towards Ada. 

“Hey! Watch it!” Leon stepped between them, hand at his hip where he kept his gun. “Stay the hell away from her,” he snarled. 

“Get out of my way, old man!” He shoved Leon hard. 

“Jake!” Sherry gasped, reaching out to grab his arm. “Stop!” She managed to pull him to the side, as Leon held up an arm behind him, gesturing for Ada to stay back.

“You can’t possibly expect me to trust these people just ‘cuz you know this guy! Besides, I thought your orders were to avoid contact with anyone!” 

“Leon isn’t just anyone. He saved my life back in Raccoon City!” 

Jake was quiet for a long moment, eyeing Ada warily. Leon noted a similar suspicion in Sherry’s eyes. He glanced back at Ada, but her face was unreadable as per usual. How was he supposed to handle a situation like this? Was it true?! It was true enough that he hadn’t heard from Sherry at all in the past six months, or longer. Had they really been locked up somewhere? And… did Ada have something to do with it? 

“What are you doing here, Leon?” Sherry said, at last, still holding Jake’s arm. She looked so tired, and wary. 

Helena answered for him: “We’re looking for Chief Security Advisor Simmons. He’s the one that caused this mess and we’re here to—”

“Simmons? There must be some mistake!” Sherry gasped, “I report to Simmons. We’re on our way to meet him now.” 

“What?” Leon frowned. “Sherry. Where is he?” He took a step towards her, but Jake dove forward. 

“Hey, watch it!” He snapped. 

“Jake, it’s fine!” Sherry said. 

“Leon!” Ada said, reaching out and grabbing his shoulder. “The plane!” 

He followed her gesture, glancing up to see someone… no, some _ thing _ … stand tall on the top of the plane, raising one of the massive engines over its head with enormous arms, ready to throw the machine right at where Sherry stood. Leon’s heart dropped, “Sherry!” He dove towards her, but he  _ knew _ he was too far away. He wouldn’t make it in time. Jake was there in an instant, pulling her down just before the  _ huge _ plane engine made contact. The enormous reverberating crash as the engine hit the crates behind them made Leon stumble. 

“You alright?” Jake gasped, grasping Sherry’s arms. The young woman nodded, eyes wide, cheeks flushed. Jake pulled away, yanking his gun free from its holster. “This guy again.” He spat. 

“A friend of yours?” Leon snorted, eyes flitting between Ada and the enormous monstrosity on the top of the plane. 

“More like an ex-girlfriend,” Jake said, “Guy doesn’t know when to quit.” 

“Ada, stay…” Leon trailed off, turning at the sound of Ada’s hookshot. She stood up on one of the crates, one hand on her hip, the other on her hookshot, a small smile on her lips. 

“I’ll leave the big guy to you, Leon,” she said, raising the hook shot again. “I have business elsewhere.” 

“Ada, wait!” Leon gasped, but she blew a kiss and was gone. “Dammit!” 

“Hey, focus!” Helena said. “We’ve got more pressing matters at the moment.” 

_ Right _ . He’d find her later.  _ Please be safe.  _ Had he always been this worried about her? He gritted his teeth, raising his gun.  _ Yeah _ , he decided,  _ I have.  _


	2. Chapter 2

It was quiet besides the distant sound of sirens. Ada moved through the empty street, her heels tapping on concrete. She still felt sick to her stomach.  _ If I was a psychopath double of myself… where would I be?  _ She paused, glancing down the empty street. An old newspaper tossed on the wind.  _ Somewhere where I could watch the world consumed by flames… somewhere safe.  _ But where would that be? She felt exhausted, fatigued, bruised, and nauseous. When did something as simple as this become so tiring? 

“Just a little bit more,” she said aloud, “And then we’ll rest.” Her heel caught on a crack in the pavement and she rolled her ankle, stumbling and barely catching herself on a stop sign.  _ Dammit!  _ She paused, catching her breath, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.  _ I feel like I’m losing it.  _ She sank to her knees, leaning against the pole of the stop sign.  _ Alright, fine… just… a few moments.  _ She had been so fatigued lately, a symptom, she had read, of pregnancy. This last week she hadn’t wanted to get out of bed at all. 

She had been scared, when she realized what her symptoms might relate to, standing in her hotel room, frozen in shock as she counted back the days to her last period, and then she counted back to when she had last seen  _ Leon _ . She had been terrified. This could change  _ everything.  _ And the choice she had to make scared her. The uncertainty of it all… She  _ hated  _ uncertainty. 

Now, tears still stinging the corners of her eyes, there were even more difficulties to face. This time she had no choice. If she wanted to keep her baby safe, she had to take care of this identity thief, before it was too late. She rose to her feet, jaw set, hand tight on the grip of her bowgun.  _ I can do this. For you.  _ She turned towards the city center, but just as she did an explosion sounded out behind her, a burst of flames. She spun around. From here she could see the wreckage of the plane in the distance, where she had left Leon and the others to take care of that  _ thing _ . 

An enormous transmission tower was rocking in the blast. Lit on fire, it cracked and began to fall. Ada’s heart leaped to her throat as she watched the tower fall with an awful  _ CRASH _ . Her free hand balled into a fist. “Leon!” she began to dash back towards the scene of the crash but froze as a helicopter flew above her.  _ Leon can take care of himself.  _ And then an even more dreadful thought:  _ Besides, whether or not he’s dead does not change what I must do… for the sake of our baby.  _ She cursed herself for thinking it, the panic causing her heart to pound was not subsiding.  _ Leon’s alive. Leon’s alive! And I have to keep going! _

Tears once more _ —these damned hormones!— _ stung at her eyes as she burst into a run towards the city center. She flipped on her scanner, hoping to find the frequency the helicopter was using and smirked when she was met by the sound of a man’s voice, spouting out coordinates. 

“I repeat! This is BSAA’s Piers Nivans! Ada Wong spotted heading towards the warehouses on the east side of the city. We are in pursuit!” And then the coordinates again.  _ The BSAA, huh?  _ So Ada’s doppelganger had already enacted part of her plan… the BSAA knew that “Ada Wong” was the cause of the outbreaks. 

“Well, that’s about to change,” Ada narrowed her eyes, pulling out her phone and dropping in the coordinates Nivans had read off. “I’m going to find this…  _ Ada Wong _ first.” 

* * *

“Something happened on the plane, didn’t it?” Helena asked, leaning against a stack of boxes to catch her breath. Since they had been separated from Sherry, they hadn’t had a moment of peace. They had cut through the markets towards the Kwun Lung building, but they had encountered some sort of creature that still gave Leon the chills. “Leon? Something happened.” Helena said again. 

Leon narrowed his eyes, shaking his head. 

Helena frowned, “Don’t lie to me, Leon. You’ve been quiet ever since Ada left. And only a moment ago that  _ thing _ almost got the better of you over that meat grinder. You could have been diced to  _ bits _ . What’s going on?” She trailed off, watching him, and then her voice softened. “She’s more than just a friend, isn’t she?” 

He hesitated, even after all these years… it felt like his and Ada’s story was private, something just for the two of them. But he knew things were going to change fast; maybe it was better to start getting used to talking about the truth of things. The true nature of his and Ada’s relationship. 

“She…” he took in a breath, leaning back against the wall behind him. The Kwun Lung building wasn’t far… they didn’t have much time. Sherry and Jake were probably already almost there. “I…”

“How long have you known her?” Helena said. 

“Since Raccoon City,” he replied, his voice thick with emotion. “Since then…” He frowned, unable to meet her eyes. “Yeah. More than friends.” 

“I’m sorry about the tape,” Helena whispered, “I had  _ no idea _ that was on there. I had never seen it before.” She grimaced. 

Leon shook his head, “I don’t know what the hell was on that tape, but it wasn’t Ada. She assured me of that already.”

“You trust her…” Helena said. It wasn’t a question. Leon nodded. 

“More than anything. I’d trust her with my life.” It looked like Helena had more questions, but they had caught their breath, and he knew they were running out of time. “Come on. Let’s hurry. We don’t want to miss Simmons.” 

They pushed through the gates together. Above them, were stairs up to a warehouse. Movement at the top of the stairs drew Leon’s gaze. There, just slipping through the door, was  _ Ada _ . 

_ What? _

It was quiet… Something was weird. 

“Ada?” He frowned. Why was she here? What business had brought her to these… warehouses? 

“Let’s follow her!” Helena said. 

_ What had she been wearing on the plane?  _ He remembered talking to her in the plane bathroom, studying her expression. He had hardly paid any attention to her clothes. But… Ada’s favorite color was red. Had she been wearing red on the plane? He couldn’t remember. Now she was wearing  _ blue _ . 

They pushed through the door at the top of the stairs into some sort of computer room, guns raised. All his senses were screaming at him that something was wrong.  _ Where is she?  _ Movement caught his eye again, and he spun around the corner, gun raised. The door swung open and he caught sight of the back of her dress. 

“Ada!” 

She turned, a knowing smile on her lips. Blue dress, red scarf, Ada’s face.

“Ada—” The sound of gunfire interrupted him as bullets spattered across the door Ada was holding open. In one, swift movement she yanked out her hookshot and was gone.  _ What the hell is going on?  _ Panic was building up in his middle.  _ Why are you putting yourself in danger like this, Ada?  _ He thought that, after fighting that thing from the plane, Ada would be careful… she wouldn’t do anything to put herself or their baby in harm’s way. Who in god’s name was shooting at her?! 

“Come on, Leon!” Helena said. 

Leon nodded, feeling sick to his stomach. “Yeah. Let's get some answers.” 

_ Is this some sort of facility?  _ Helena followed him, down the stairs, across metal flooring to a long hall. He could hear shouting down another hall. “We have to make it to that elevator, fast! We’re not alone!” He called back to Helena as they ran. Above them, on some sort of walkway, Ada appeared, hand on her hip, her voice echoing through some sort of loudspeaker. 

“Glad you could stop in,” she said.  _ This isn’t right.  _ It was like she didn’t even recognize him, like they hadn’t even had their conversation on the plane. “Like what I’ve done with the place? Hope you enjoy your stay!” She smirked. At the end of the hall, a red flash drew Leon’s attention.  _ Lasers. What the hell is going on?!  _

“Your girlfriend sure knows how to throw a welcome party,” Helena groaned, brushing a hand through her hair and setting off at a run down the hall, straight towards the lasers, gun in her hand.  _ Shit. _ Leon bit his lip hard. What the hell was this?! Some sort of game?! He dove after Helena, ducking through the lasers, and reaching the end of the hall. Helena was already slamming the butt of her gun into the device blocking their path to the elevator. On the other side of the thin wall, someone else was shouting. 

“She’s getting away! Grab the elevator!” 

The lasers flickered and gave out just as Leon saw the elevator door slam shut. “Shit.” He kicked the door frame, anger biting at his nerves.

“Looks like we’re taking the stairs,” Helena said, “This way!” Leon followed her, taking the steps two at a time, his heart pounding in his ears.  _ Ada!  _ They reached a long metal walkway, with piping along either side. His heart skipped a beat. There she was, dashing around the corner, a flash of blue and red in his vision, and for one heartbeat Leon was  _ terrified  _ for the first time in a long time—every bone in his body was telling him that this was  _ all wrong _ . 

“Ada, stop! We have to talk!” He shouted out, shoes pounding on metal. 

“Sorry. Not in a talking mood!” 

“This isn’t like you!” Leon gasped, “What about all that stuff we talked about on the plane?!” 

Her response was the toss of some sort of smoke canister. Leon stumbled, coughing, and then resumed running.

“Leon!” Helena dove after her partner, trying to keep up with his long strides. “What the hell is up with her? She’s acting totally different…” 

“I know…” Leon said through a heavy breath. 

The toss of another smoke canister, and Ada’s voice drifted through the cloud, “It’s been fun. Ciao!” 

“Ada!” 

He could barely see her through the smoke, lift her hookshot and shoot, zipping across to another platform on the other side of the room. Leon hesitated, leaning against the metal railing, gasping for breath. 

“We have to keep going,” Helena said, clearly impatient. There are others chasing her, shooting at her. Leon nodded wordlessly. He gritted his teeth, kicking the metal railing as hard as he could. 

_ “ _ Shit!” And then he set off at a run again.  _ Ada, just… let me talk to you. No more secrets, please.  _ She was reaching the end of the walkway. Through the smoke, Leon could hear the other voices as he ran. 

“There she is! Cut her off!” a vaguely familiar voice. Leon burst through a metal door, dashing around the corner to see two men converging on Ada. 

“I’ve got her!” 

The sound of bullets echoed through the air, and each shot made Leon feel sick. He could see the men now, their familiar uniforms… that globe-shaped patch.  _ The BSAA?!  _ They had cornered Ada and were standing as still as possible. The one man raised his gun. Silence… deafening silence.  _ Come on. Come on.  _ Leon was panting, his legs burning. The BSAA agent’s finger moved to the trigger, and Leon dove forward, slamming straight into him, knocking the gun to the side. Bullets spattered against the wall before the gun was knocked to the floor. 

“Get the hell… away from her!” Leon swung his fist, the BSAA agent dove to the side, reaching for his gun, and Leon threw his arm around the man’s neck. There was a  _ crack _ ! As the man’s elbow slammed into Leon’s ribs, and then he ducked under Leon, throwing him off balance. Leon tumbled into a roll, ripping his pistol free from its holster, and jumping to his feet, raising the gun at the man, only to be met with a very familiar face.  _ Silence _ all for their panting, trying to catch their breath. 

“Chris!” 

“Leon?!” Chris gasped, his chest heaving, pistol raised as well. “What are you doing here?!” His grip tightened on the pistol, his brow furrowed, sheen of sweat on his forehead. Leon’s ribs ached, and his lungs burned, but his aim remained steady, his blue eyes narrowed at the man he might call his friend. Behind the agent, Helena caught up, gun raised, her shoes pounding on the metal. 

“No one move,” she breathed, pointing the gun towards Chris’s companion. Sirens sounded out in the distance. Behind Leon, Ada was silent, but he could hear her heels as she shifted on the metal walkway.  _ All this for her… even after whatever game she’s playing?  _ The question burned at the back of his mind. Leon gritted his teeth, shoving the awful thought away.  _ I love her.  _ It wasn’t the first time he had thought those words… but it was a reminder and he took in another heaving breath.  _ All this time? Always.  _ He tightened his grip on his pistol. 

“Put your gun  _ down _ , Chris,” he hissed. “She’s a key witness. We need her.” A good enough excuse for now, right? Besides, he did have about  _ a thousand  _ questions to ask her.  _ What happened to the woman I saw on the plane? The woman who seemed to promise no games, no lies…. What changed?  _ But at those words, Chris grimaced, he let out a growl, shaking his head. 

“A  _ witness?!  _ She’s the one who did all this!!!” His voice rose with every word, rage like fire in his dark eyes. 

“No,” Leon said, trying to keep his calm. He had to convince the agent to put down his gun. “No, it wasn’t her. It was the National Security Advisor, Simmons—” 

But Chris was beyond reason, his teeth bared, brows drawn together in rage, “I lost all my men because of her!” He yelled, gesturing with his weapon. Leon followed the gun with his eyes. He wasn’t a praying man, but if there was any time to pray it was now.  _ Dear god, don’t fire that gun, Chris.  _ The gesture lit a fire within him and he took a step forward. 

“You lost your men?!” He spat, “Well, I lost over 70,000 people  _ including the president _ because of  _ Simmons _ ! Put… your  _ gun down,  _ Redfield!” He yelled. “Put it  _ down!”  _

Chris glanced at Ada, his eyes narrowed. He shook his head. “She’s working for Neo-Umbrella. You know what that means?!” 

Leon blinked. The words were like a kick in his gut.  _ An organization called Neo-Umbrella is claiming the attack _ . Was it true?! His eyes flicked towards Helena, whose face was pale, her hands shaking. Usually, she was so solid. Maybe Leon should have expected it… Ada working for Neo-Umbrella. It made sense. After all, how many times had he met her to find that she had her own ulterior motives? And she had even told him that she had business in China, but she hadn’t said what. He bit his lip. 

“Yeah,” he said, steadying his aim, meeting Chris’s gaze. “I do.” 

Chris scoffed, disbelief in his eyes, “And you’re still going to protect this woman?!” 

Leon nodded once, jaw tight, no hesitation. “I am.” 

Chris shook his head, taking a step towards him, “Leon—” 

“Captain!” 

“Don’t move!” Helena shouted, her gaze on Ada. Leon spun around, but before anyone could move the brilliant light from a flashbang filled his vision and he stumbled, covering his eyes as they burned from the light. 

“It’s been fun,” Ada said, “But I’ve gotta dash.” The sound of her hookshot, as Leon’s vision cleared enough to see her land on the floor below them. Chris’s partner raised his gun, firing at her, but she was too fast, and his vision too blurred from the flashbang. 

“Dammit!” He shouted, immediately racing for the stairs. Helena was after him in a second, and Chris followed. Leon reached out and yanked on Chris’s arm, pulling him away. 

“Helena stop,” he called after his partner. 

“They’re going to kill her!” Helena snapped, gesturing to Chris who was yanking free of Leon’s grasp. 

“Chris, wait!” 

“Stay out of my way, Leon!” Chris spat. 

“Listen to me!” Leon yelled, pushing the man back. He took a breath, “We both want the same thing here… please… don’t hurt her.” 

Chris’s expression softened, his eyes studying Leon for a moment, “What the hell is going on here, Leon?” He whispered. “This runs deeper than her being just a key witness… doesn’t it?” 

“Please, Chris,” Leon hissed, balling his hand into a fist. “I’m  _ begging  _ you, don’t hurt her. Bring her in alive.” 

Chris glanced away and then sighed. “Alright. The BSAA will handle Ada, you take care of Simmons.” He pulled away from Leon’s grasp, moving towards where his partner had vanished. 

“Chris!” Leon said. Chris paused, glancing back at his friend. Leon frowned, hand tight on his pistol. “... If you hurt her…” he growled. Then he shook his head, relaxing a little, taking in a deep breath, “I know you’ll do the right thing.” 

Chris hesitated and then nodded. “Just take care of Simmons, Kennedy.” And he was gone, dashing down the stairs. 

_ Am  _ I  _ doing the right thing though?  _ There was a sick feeling in Leon’s gut. Like something awful was about to occur. Everything that had happened today had sent him reeling.  _ Everything _ . Like one punch to the face after another. What was there to say he wasn’t about to get punched again? 

“Are you sure you can trust him with something like this?” Helena whispered. Leon knew she sensed something else was going on. “I can go after Simmons if you need—”

“No,” Leon said. “Ada would want me to see this through. You’re stuck with me.” He laughed a little, to hide his worry, and then sighed, “Besides… I know Chris.” He took a moment, nodding once, “I  _ trust _ him.” 

Leon moved down the stairs, coming to a stop at the door Chris had gone through, taking in a deep breath.  _ It’s up to you now, Chris.  _ He had to have faith that Chris would do what was right and that Ada would do what was right to protect herself  _ and _ their baby. 


	3. Chapter 3

_ “That’s not good enough! That’s not Ada Wong!”  _ Ada frowned, thumb hovering over the recording as it began to play. She set it aside, opening the files, listening as Simmons raged about finding the perfect match to create a new  _ Ada Wong. “She may have left me, but now I have her back.”  _

_Hmm._ The ravings of a madman. _You’re insane, Simmons._ To go this far because of an obsession… But at least now things were clear. He had _used_ this Carla to create Ada’s perfect twin, but Carla had taken matters into her own hands. For a moment Ada almost felt bad for the young woman. After all, Simmons hadn’t told her everything about their experiments, and he had changed her into a completely different person, infecting her with a virus that probably wasn’t stable at all. The thought made Ada shudder. But Carla was taking this act of revenge too far. And pulling Ada into this mess? It was a deadly mistake. 

“No more games,” Ada said, grasping her gun. “I’m going to put an end to this.” Before she could move the sound of a helicopter drew her attention towards the balcony, and then gunshots rang out. Ada dashed out towards the railing only to see her “evil twin” plummeting to her death. 

Carla’s body hit the pavement, stories below where Ada stood, with a sickening thud. Her limbs sprawled out, blood seeping into the concrete. Grisly sights such as this usually didn’t bother Ada, but the fact that she saw  _ herself _ lying dead below made her sick to her stomach, only exacerbating her morning sickness. She doubled over, retching. 

_ Pull yourself together, Ada.  _ She took a breath, her stomach was not cooperating, twisting into knocks and throwing waves of nausea her way. “Hey,” she groaned, pressing a hand to her middle. “Just a little longer.”  _ No matter. I’ll have to continue on, regardless.  _ Her heart was pounding. If Carla was infected… or…  _ changed _ by the C-Virus, then was she  _ really _ dead?  _ I have to make sure.  _ She turned, stumbling through her nausea towards where she knew there was an elevator.  _ Come on, just a little farther.  _

“ _ HQ to Alpha Team _ ,” her radio rang out loud and clear, still looped into the BSAA’s feed. “ _ We’ve confirmed that Wong was telling the truth. There’s a fully armed aircraft carrier in open water not far from your location. Satellite imaging indicates they’re getting ready to fire missiles on the mainland. It’s imperative that you stop them from launching a single one. _ ”

“ _ Copy that, HQ _ .” 

Ada winced. She’d let the BSAA handle that. But, if they weren’t able to stop the missiles, things were about to get real messy. A thought crossed her mind as she stepped off the elevator, pausing to take a breath.  _ I hope Leon’s safe.  _ She closed her eyes for a moment, preparing herself for the scene she was sure to face just outside.  _ I don’t condone your actions, Carla, but at least now I understand them.  _ She frowned, hands tightening on her bowgun.  _ I’m sorry it had to come to this.  _ And then she moved out towards the body of her clone. 

As she approached the body, she stopped, a bitter taste of bile in her mouth.  _ It could have been me.  _ So many times now the BSAA had mistaken her for Carla. What if they had killed her instead? She breathed a sigh of relief, praying that even after all this there could still be a future for her, for her baby… A future with Leon. 

She frowned, glancing over the still form of her double.  _ How tragic.  _ “Your hatred for Simmons drove you to tear down the world they created, but it was your conscience, Carla, that saw you fail…” She scoffed, still holding her bowgun tight. “After all, isn’t that why you brought  _ me _ into this?” She moved again, sure now that Carla must be dead… but still cautious. “It’s a shame… If you had only sought vengeance against Simmons alone, I would have helped you.” 

Silence. And then the clink of a vial against the pavement as Carla’s eyes  _ snapped _ open and her body writhed and seized on the ground. Ada took a step back, eyes wide, as Carla rose to her feet. Her body was jolting, snapping back and forth. Thick, viscous slime poured by the gallons from her pores, slicking against her like glue. The stench was nearly unbearable, causing Ada to gag again. Carla steadied and tilted her head, eyes narrowed in  _ disgust.  _

_ Run _ . Every instinct was screaming at Ada to run, but she stood her ground, fear twisting into her like a knife between her ribs. She had dealt with much worse, so why was this different…? She could deal with this just like she had dealt with the others.  _ Your number one priority should be to keep this baby safe _ . And that thought caused her throat to dry up.  _ The baby!  _ She stumbled backward, raising her gun.  _ Keep your distance.  _

“Get. Over. Yourself.” Carla snapped, viscous ooze rolling down her face and neck from her mouth. “Help  _ me _ ?! I’m the  _ real _ Ada Wong!” She paused, eyes seeming to light up at the way Ada took another step back as the ooze spread. “Do you  _ fear _ me?” She hissed.  _ Protect the baby.  _

“No,” Ada whispered, disdain clear in her voice,  _ “ _ I  _ pity _ you. You’re nothing but a cheap knockoff, at  _ best _ .” The fury in Carla’s melting face sent chills down Ada’s spine, but she stood her ground.  _ Now’s your chance. Finish this, Ada. Finish this.  _

* * *

Leon watched in horror as clouds of blue gas descended on the city, whirling through the streets, taking life after life. He gripped the rail with one hand and his phone with the other, his mouth dry, his heart pounding as he watched chaos rise.  _ Zombies… they’ve all become… zombies.  _

_ “Leon?! Leon?! Are you alright?!”  _ Chris’s voice gasped through the radio. 

“Yeah, I’m alright!” Leon said, “But things just got bad, real bad!”

_ “Dammit!”  _ There was a slam on the other side of the comm, but Leon wasn’t really listening. He had seen so much destruction and darkness like this before… and it always resulted in the same thing, the same pain and suffering.  _ When will it end?  _ He thought of his and Ada’s baby, the reality of it settling in once more, they were bringing a baby into a nightmare of a world like this…  _ No. It just means I have to work harder… to make this world a better, safer place.  _ He paused, trying to think.  _ I have to… I have to finish this.  _

“ _...eon?! Leon?! _ ” 

“Chris, listen to me,” Leon gasped, focusing again, “I need you to rescue two hostages from an underwater oil field. Agent Sherry Birkin and Jake Muller.” He paused, hesitating on the last bit of info.  _ Chris will do what’s right.  _ “He’s Albert Wesker’s son.” 

“ _.....Wesker!?”  _

“Chris, he’s got antibodies for the C-Virus.” 

_ “I got it. I’m on my way.” _

“Good, thanks.” Leon breathed out a sigh of relief, steadying himself on the railing of the platform he and Helena were standing on. Below, chaos was still unfolding, and the clouds of blue gas were coming closer and closer.  _ Time to go.  _

_ “Leon, wait. There’s something… There’s something I need to tell you.”  _

The way Chris sounded, even from the comm, made Leon pause, something akin to panic building up in his middle, like nausea twisting around his insides. He clutched the railing till his knuckles turned white. “I’m here,” he said. 

There was a long silence, too long, before Chris finally spoke again. “ _ Ada Wong is dead. _ ” 

It felt like the air was sucked out of Leon’s lungs… he couldn’t breathe. His hands trembling, he gripped the railing on the platform.  _ What… what…?!  _ No, it couldn’t be. Chris was mistaken, somehow, because if Ada was dead…. If Ada… was  _ dead _ … 

“ _ I’m sorry, _ ” Chris said, “ _ I tried to stop it but it was too late. I know she was important to you, Leon. _ ”

Leon couldn’t move.  _ Important?! IMPORTANT?!  _ He had no  _ idea _ ! He gritted his teeth. The world around him seemed to be frozen, and he was just trapped in one… small… moment. 

_ “Leon _ ?  _ We’re approaching the oil field—”  _

“Copy.” Leon managed to say, his voice hoarse. “Sherry and Jake need you.” And then he hung up, hands still trembling. He didn’t want to hear anymore, didn’t want to believe it. He bit his lip  _ hard _ . Impossible… Impossible…  _ Silence.  _ It was like he couldn’t even hear the chaos approaching as the blue gas drew closer.  _ Ada is gone.  _

“Leon?” Helena whispered, her warm hand resting on the older agent’s shoulder. “Are you okay?” 

Leon took in a shuddering breath. “No.” 

“Hey! What the hell are you guys doing over there?” Someone, a soldier, was shouting at them. Leon spun around, somehow awoken from his stupor. He still felt numb, like there was nothing else… nothing to keep him moving. But Helena grasped his shoulder. 

“Let’s find the survivors and get the hell out of here. People are counting on us, Leon.” 

_ Right.  _ His job, his duty, to keep people safe. A dull ache of confused emotion jabbed at him, like a cold knife to the heart. But above all he was  _ numb.  _ Numb with disbelief and shock. A world without  _ her _ … a world that robbed him of their child? He wasn’t sure…. He wasn’t sure it was a world he wanted to be a part of at all. 

* * *

_ “You’re here.” He couldn’t help but let the sigh of relief escape his lips as he slumped against the doorway, relaxing a little, dropping his duffle bag on the floor of his apartment. Ada was sitting on the edge of his bed, a familiar smile on her lips, a scarlet, silk and lace sleeveless nightgown hanging from her fit frame. She stood, crossing the room, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him close.  _

_ “Bad day?”  _

_ “More like a bad week,” Leon said.  _

_ She kissed him softly on the forehead, the temple, the cheek, and then his lips, brushing his hair aside with her hand, and pulling him closer with the other. “What can I do to make it better?” she murmured, pressing against him.  _

_ “You already have.”  _

_ When he woke the next morning, she was still there, much to his surprise, sitting up in bed, leaning back against the headboard. She was wearing one of his t-shirts, and she smiled when she saw him wake up. “Surprised to see me?”  _

_ “Most of the time you don’t stay,” he replied.  _

_ “Maybe I should change that.”  _

_ He reached out to take her hand, never glancing away from her eyes. “I’d like that,” he said, feeling warm all over.  _

_ “Then you won’t have to miss me so much,” she said nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders a little.  _

_ “I’ll always miss you,” he said firmly, frowning up at her. She blinked, her eyes widening. “Always.” He said again, raising her hand and pressing a kiss to the inside of her wrist.  _

_ “Always?” She laughed a little, but he could see the emotion behind her warm eyes. “You can’t possibly—” _

_ “Always, Ada,” he sat up, reaching out to cup her cheek with his free hand. “No matter how long you’re gone. No matter how far you go. No matter. I’ll  _ miss _ you.”  _

“Leon?” Helena whispered, touching his shoulder.  _ Fuck.  _ He hadn’t realized he’d been crying, a lone tear rolling down his cheek as he stared out at the thick fog… or gas… around them from where he sat in the front seat of the vehicle. 

“It’s nothing,” he hissed, turning back to the window.  _ Why is that memory so fresh?  _ That had been months and months ago. But he was slowly realizing that…if Chris was right...  _ I’ll never see her again.  _ She would never again show up unannounced, teasing smile on her lips. He would never hear her voice again, see the warmth in her eyes when she looked at him… It felt like he was being torn to pieces from the inside. He wanted to scream, but his throat felt like it was closed up.  _ Chris was wrong.  _ Ada couldn’t be dead… she wasn’t dead. It was impossible. 

They pulled clear of the gas, and the soldier beside Leon finally spoke, “This is as far as I can get you,” he said. And Leon could still hear the panic in the man’s voice. “The tower’s right up ahead, you two keep going. I’m gonna head back and try and find what’s left of my team.” 

“Thanks,” Leon groaned, pulling himself out of the vehicle. 

“Be careful,” Helena said, “And thank you.” 

Leon took in a shuddering breath, turning towards where an overturned truck blocked their path. “Let's go,” he said, as the soldier turned back into the fog behind them. 

“Leon, wait,” Helena whispered. She hesitated, “Do you… want to talk about it? 

“Do you want to talk about your sister?” Leon snapped, and then  _ immediately  _ regretted it. Helena’s face fell, and her brow furrowed in anger. 

“I’m trying to help.” she said, “I know that it hurts. I know that it feels like you’re being ripped in half. I know it feels like  _ you can’t breathe _ . But, sometimes… talking about pain like that can help. I guess I won’t make that assumption again.” 

“No, I’m sorry,” Leon whispered, reaching out to steady himself against the truck. “We just… I don’t have time. We have to get to Simmons.”

“There’s always time to grieve,” Helena whispered. “Just don’t make any stupid decisions, Kennedy.” 

He nodded, “Right.” 

He turned towards the truck, but then paused again. “She is…  _ was  _ more than a friend,” he whispered. 

“I know,” Helena said. “I’m sorry.” 

“She was…” he trailed off, clutching his shirt with one hand, taking in a shaking breath. “She…” 

The sound of shuffling feet and moaning came from the fog behind them. “They’re coming,” Helena said, “We’ve got to get out of here.” 

Leon composed himself, helping Helena scramble up over the truck. He stood at the top for a moment taking in a deep breath, the smell of smoke and gasoline filled the air. Beyond the flickering lights of the city, there was only darkness. Quite like what awaited him after China.  _ Finish the job, and then what?  _ If Chris was right, only darkness remained. 

* * *

_ It’s over…  _ Ada took in a shuddering breath, leaning back in the seat of the chopper. She needed just a moment.  _ One mess is taken care of.  _ Leon was out there somewhere though, trying to take care of Simmons.  _ And Simmons is the final loose end.  _ She took in another deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She was dirty, scratched up, and bruised, but at least the nausea seemed to have stopped for now. 

“Just a little longer,” she whispered, for what seemed like the thousandth time. “Your parents are gonna fix this.” She paused, and then laughed, shaking her head.  The thought of  _ her _ being a  _ mother _ … well, it still didn’t quite feel real. “Let’s go find your father and help him take care of this mess, hmm?” She ran her fingers through her hair and then sat up straight, focusing on the job at hand.


	4. Chapter 4

_ “You have to go?” Leon murmured, reaching out for Ada’s hand, kissing her knuckles, her wrist, and then pulling her closer to kiss her cheek and then her lips. “Stay,” he pleaded. He knew he sounded needy, like he was begging for his life, “Just a little longer.”  _

_ Ada smiled, gently cupping his cheek and locking eyes with him. “How can I argue with that?”  _

_ He let out a breath against her skin, leaning into her as she straddled him, kissing him softly… once, twice… “I love you,” he breathed. Still holding her hand.  _

I love you. 

Leon took in a breath, shocking his lungs and ribs with intense pain. His ears were still ringing from the explosion, his vision blurred, the feel of concrete pressed up against his cheek and the pain that reverberated through his whole body were the only two things he was sure of. The sound of crackling fire and the shadows of stumbling figures slowly became clearer as he let out a groan, lifting himself, pressing his hands to the ground and putting all his effort into getting  _ up _ . He reached for his gun, taking in another labored breath.  _ Come on. Come on.  _

Beside him, Helena still lay. The undead were beginning to shamble towards them and Leon knew he had to get his partner out of here, to keep her safe. He groaned, pulling himself over to her, lifting her up, throwing her arm over his shoulder. “Come on, Helena, I got you.” He pulled them both to their feet, surveying the scene.  _ Quickly, Leon, there’s no time _ ! He had to find a way out—it seemed impossible when everything was on fire, and the undead drew closer. The sound of a helicopter rose above the fading ringing in his ears and a bright light suddenly blinded him as the helicopter came into view, hovering low in the city streets. The light moved, targeting the dead around them, and as shots began to ring out, felling one zombie after another, Leon finally saw the pilot’s face. 

For one brief moment, he thought he was hallucinating. Until Helena pulled away from him, steadying herself on her feet, “Leon! She’s alive! It’s—” 

“Ada…” he breathed.  _ What… how can this be?!  _ So did Chris lie? Or… had he been mistaken? Leon suddenly remembered the tape in the lab, and he felt sick to his stomach. Ada had sworn to him that what was on that tape had  _ not _ been her. But she hadn’t said the thing wasn’t still out there… He frowned, hands trembling. If that look-alike was still about… was it the one Chris thought was dead? Or was it the one in the helicopter above them? 

“Leon! There’s too many of them!” Helena gasped. “This way!” She gestured towards an alley and Leon followed her out of the range of the helicopter’s fire, his mind reeling. Could there really be a clone of Ada out there? If it was her in the helicopter… Leon shuddered, his heart pounding… which meant that the real Ada was dead. He wasn’t sure he could handle it a second time. Would it be better to have  _ no  _ hope, so he wasn’t shattered into a thousand pieces  _ again _ ? He already felt like it would take an immense amount of effort to put himself back together again. 

_ Focus, Leon!  _ As much as every part of him was saying to focus on his significant other and his child, he knew that he couldn’t worry about them now. He had to focus on the present dangers and get to the Quad Tower where the rest of the evacuees were. Whether or not it was really safe there, remained to be seen. 

* * *

Words that Ada once said filtered through Leon’s mind as he raised his pistol, standing above Simmons’ awful mutated form.  _ “Nothing dies here!”  _ How much more would it take to finish him once and for all? Was this it? Was he dead? Leon gritted his teeth, swiftly kicking the enormous monster.  _ Nothing _ . Maybe this was it. The thrum of a helicopter’s blades brought him back to reality as a bright light flashed over them. Ada…. or… someone who  _ looked _ like Ada anyways. She looked relieved, from what he could tell, even through the glass of the helicopter, but Leon only felt on edge. How would he know what the truth was…? How would he know that this wasn’t that thing he saw on the tape? Ada gestured, nodding her head up towards the sky, a soft smile on her lips. Leon frowned, his head hurt. Things were way too complicated. 

“She’s heading to the roof,” he said. 

“Let’s hope the elevator still works,” Helena laughed a little, but Leon didn’t move. “Leon… what’s wrong?” Helena asked. 

He frowned, wondering—not for the first time—if he should tell Helena the truth. But he settled on his current puzzle, gritting his teeth. “That thing, on the tape. What if that’s what this is all about? Ada said it wasn’t her. So what if it’s impersonating her? What if she’s… What if she really is  _ dead _ , and…” 

“Here’s a different question,” Helena said, crossing her arms. “What if that  _ thing _ is the one that’s dead?” 

“You see my dilemma?” Leon frowned. 

Helena let out an exasperated sigh, moving towards the elevators. “When we find her you can ask her yourself. Surely she’ll have something she can tell you that no one else knows? Besides,” she turned to look back at her partner. “Don’t you think it’s strange that we’ve seen Ada wearing two different outfits today? Looked to me like the Ada in the helicopter was wearing the same red shirt that the Ada on the plane was wearing.” 

Leon blinked, and then let out a deep breath that he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He pressed his hand to his forehead, leaning over in utter relief. “She’s… she’s…”  _ Alive. I was worried for nothing.  _ He let out another shuddering breath of relief, shaking his head.  _ Of course… the Ada that was there in the warehouse… the one Chris went after. She was wearing blue.  _ He had thought, at the time that something was different, but he never paid much attention to what people were wearing. Helena was  _ right _ . This  _ had  _ to be, or at least there was a high chance that it was,  _ his _ Ada. 

“Are you coming?” Helena said, her arm holding open the elevator doors. Leon nodded, dashing forward to join her in the little elevator. “Going up.” Helena pressed the button for the roof and they began to ascend. Through the glass, Leon could see the destruction outside more fully. Sparks rising in the air from bursting and devouring flames… buildings crumbling, and that prevailing blue gas. The virus… consuming all in its path. Helena spoke, at last, her voice barely a whisper, “Leon… there’s something more, isn’t there? With Ada…” 

His heart ached and he nodded slowly, not daring to glance at his partner. “On the plane, she told me…” he took in a breath, “She’s… pregnant.” 

“What?” Helena gasped, “It’s…” 

Leon nodded, “Yeah. Ours.” He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. “And with her being here, amid all this, I’ve never been so… terrified in all my life.” To say it aloud made him feel weak and sick to his stomach. 

“What in the world is she doing here?! She knew it would be dangerous—”

“I don’t know,” Leon said, “I didn’t get the chance to ask her on the plane, and now…” Before he could say anything else there was an enormous, shuddering explosion behind them, the elevator doors burst open, flying forward and shattering the glass window before the entire elevator swung out on its metal cable, away from the building.  _ It’s going to give way!  _

In one sudden reaction, Leon leaped through the broken window, Helena beside him, towards the building. They landed with a heavy  _ thud _ against the roof of the neighboring elevator, just as their previous ride fell from its cable, tumbling down towards the flame and concrete below. Leon struggled to his feet, catching his breath, his whole body aching. But just as he rose to his full height the elevator buckled underneath him.  _ Shit _ ! Together they leaped up at once, grasping the elevator cable, as the elevator gave out beneath them and went skidding down its shaft to certain death at the bottom. Leon closed his eyes tight, swinging from the immense cable.  _ Breathe.  _

“Don’t look down,” Helena said. 

He nodded in response, though he knew she couldn’t see him from where she was hanging above him. “We have to climb to safety.” One hand at a time… slowly, slowly… Leon felt sick as he looked back behind him at all the rising flames... one of the sky bridges collapsed with a thunderous crash. It was  _ so  _ far down.  _ Don’t look down!  _ Somewhere through the flames on one of the many sky bridges, Simmons emerged.  _ I knew it.  _

“Simmons!” He said, directing Helena’s attention to the sight. She gritted her teeth. 

“He’s still alive…” 

_ Yeah, just my damn luck.  _

The sky bridge crumbled, but Simmons was already leaping to the next. That’s when Leon caught sight of  _ her.  _ “Ada!” He called, still clutching the elevator cable. 

“She’s going up!” Helena gasped, gesturing to the sky bridge just above them. 

“Hurry!” Leon returned his focus to climbing, finally seeing the platform in sight. A wide expanse separated Ada’s side of the platform from theirs. Helena was about to make a jump for it, but Leon called out, “Wait!” Ada’s platform was collapsing. He watched as Ada yanked out her hookshot and zipped up to the next platform. Simmons  _ dove _ towards Leon and Helena, stumbling but catching himself far below them, and then he started to climb, at a terrifying speed. 

“Climb!!! Climb, Helena!” 

Helena groaned, letting out a prayer, “Ada, if you can hear me, shoot him now!” The sound of gunshots rang out below and Simmons staggered, still struggling to ascend and catch up to them. “There’s a door up here!” Helena gasped. “Come on, Leon! I’ll lift you up!” Just as she reached out to take his hand, the hulking beast below him turned, leaping towards the sky bridge where Ada stood. Leon watched as the monster collided with the woman in red, and she let out a shout of pain, falling to the ground and lying still. 

“ _ Ada!”  _ He yelled, panicked.

“Go!” Helena gasped, “I’ll cover you!” But Leon was moving before she could encourage him, kicking off from the building and leaping towards the platform Ada lay on. He dropped into a roll as he landed, and didn’t stop moving until he was at her side, lifting her into his arms, away from the shards of glass that were spread across the platform. 

“Ada! Can you hear me?” He gasped, holding her gently with one arm, the other cupping her cheek, “Please…” He gritted his teeth, pulling her close, resting his forehead against hers. “Don’t let it end like this. Wake up...” 

“Leon!” Helena called out. At the far end of the bridge, Simmons was returning to his more human form, the cracks in his body seemed wider, and more marring, even from here. Leon gently rested Ada’s head against his knee, taking in a deep breath and drawing his gun. 

Simmons let out a harsh laugh that echoed between the buildings. “Get away from her, Leon. You’re not half the man she needs!” The comment made Leon feel sick to his stomach. “Come with me, my love!” Simmons howled, “We’ll be together forever!”  _ What the hell is he talking about?!  _ Bile rose in Leon’s throat as he aimed his gun.

“Not if I can help it,”  _ Psychopath.  _ He fired once, twice, three times. “Come on, Ada. Wake up,” He breathed as Simmons held out his hands, moving forward slowly, one step at a time. “I know you’re Ada.  _ My  _ Ada. Not whatever the hell was on that tape.” He said, firing more bullets into Simmons’ frame, “You have to be. And I know you can pull through this. You both can. We  _ all _ can.” 

Before him Simmons shifted again, his body morphing into the hulking monster Leon had seen on the train. Leon narrowed his eyes and recognized the attack stance just before it commenced.  _ No!  _ He threw himself in front of Ada, wrapping his arms around her, holding her close against him and shielding her from the sharp projectiles Simmons shot towards them. Splinters and jagged pieces of bone slammed into Leon’s back, he gritted his teeth through the pain, holding Ada close. As the attack ended he felt Ada stir in his arms, and he pulled away to see her eyes flutter open. He let out a sigh of relief. 

“Leon?” she whispered, cupping his cheek. “Are you… alright?” 

“Are  _ you _ ?” He said, brows knitted together, “For a second I—”

“I was just resting my eyes,” she replied simply. 

“You shouldn’t sleep on the job,” Leon teased softly. Ada smiled in return, hesitating a moment in his arms, brushing her thumb against his cheek. There was something in the way she looked at him like she was saying that she cared about him silently, and without saying another word she sat up, pulling away from him and rising to her feet. 

“In case you haven’t noticed,” she said drawing her own gun, “Simmons doesn’t take rejection well.” 

Leon smiled bitterly, aiming at the monster carefully, “There some backstory I should know here?” 

Ada laughed, “You  _ know _ it’s nothing worthwhile. I picked  _ you _ . That’s it. It was always you.” 

Simmons let out a roar of rage, charging towards them suddenly, and slamming into Leon, sending him tumbling towards the edge of the sky bridge. Leon barely managed to grab hold of the edge with one hand, not daring to look down at the depths below. 

“Leon!” Ada cried. 

Simmons in his human form stood above Leon, wicked smile on his twisted lips, as he pressed his foot against Leon’s hand. “Do you want to live?”  _ Do I want to live?  _ Leon’s thoughts fell on Ada, and he narrowed his eyes up at Simmons.  _ Yes. For Ada. For all the memories we have yet to make.  _ Just as Leon managed to get his second hand up on the ledge, Simmons kicked it away. “Beg! Beg for your life!” 

“I’ll pass!” Leon snapped, throwing his hand back up to the ledge, only for Simmons to kick it away once more. 

Before Simmons could crush his foot overtop of Leon’s one remaining hand, Ada came up behind him, hissing, “Can’t always get what you want, Simmons,” before she stabbed one of her bowgun arrows deep into Simmons’ side. Blood splattered across her shirt as Simmons screamed in rage. 

“ _ No! No!”  _

_ “ _ Let's call this closure,” Ada grabbed Simmons around the shoulders and threw both of them off the edge of the sky bridge, “You really should’ve moved on, Simmons.” 

She let the mutated man go and yanked out her hookshot and zipped herself back up to where Leon was struggling to get to safety. Simmons screamed as he fell, tumbling into the flames below, writhing in agony as they consumed him. And then it was quiet. 

Ada fell to her knees in the glass in front of Leon, reaching out to grasp his arm and help pull him up, both of them panting—trying to catch their breaths. 

“Leon,” Ada gasped, reaching out to cup his cheek, as if to see him better, to make sure he was really alright, but before she could get a good look at him he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into a tight hug. 

“It’s really you, yeah?” He breathed, “I know it’s you and you’re  _ safe.  _ Both of you.” 

He held her close, her kneeling between his knees as they knelt in the glass, and she melted into his embrace, clutching the back of his shirt. He just wanted to hold her for a few minutes, to really know she was real and safe and here. 

“Why did you come, Ada?” He whispered, cupping her cheek and pulling away so he could look her in the eyes. 

"I needed to do this, Leon," she replied. "For the safety of our baby. I had no idea you would be involved too."

"If this had to do with you and our baby, I should have been involved from the start." 

She sighed, her expression softening. "Maybe you're right." She said. "But it's over now." She rose to her feet, running her fingers through her bloodstained hair, "There's only one thing left for me to do."

Before Leon could react Ada yanked her hookshot from its place at her hip and zipped towards the building opposite where Helena stood. 

"Ada!!!" Leon called, lurching forward to catch her arm but missing her by a hair. He watched her as she stood above them and pulled out her phone. 

His own let out a beep upon receiving a message:  _ I left a gift for you on the roof. Don't worry about me. I'll contact you when it's safe. Until then.  _ 💋

“Well, what are you waiting for? Go after her,” Helena spoke through the comms. Leon’s heart was hammering in his chest, he glanced down at his phone, then towards Helena, high above him on the far tower. 

“I can’t leave you—” 

“Leon, go!” 

He nodded, taking in a deep breath, and dashing towards the building where Ada had disappeared. “Stay safe, we’ll be back.” 

He vaulted himself up to the ledge of a window and climbed into the building, slipping into the shadows, following the path Ada took. He could hear her heels now, tapping on metal, even through the sound of the crackling flames, and the crumbling building. He dashed down the hallway, panting, trying to catch his breath and catch her hand before she disappeared into the smoke. Before they reached the stairs, Ada was in his sight and he called out her name, stumbling forward in desperation to clasp her hand in his and pull her close into his embrace. 

“Leon…” she whispered, her lips moving against his ear as he held her close, pulling her up off her feet into a tight hug. 

“Don’t go. It’s too dangerous. Please… You don’t understand,” he found himself choking on his own tears. “I can’t lose you again.”

“What…?” She sounded confused, and so he pulled away to look her in the eyes. 

“They told me you were  _ dead _ ,” he whispered, ache steadily growing stronger in his heart. “And I believed them.” She stared at him for a moment, as if he were crazy, and then her eyes lit up with realization. 

“The B.S.A.A.” 

“Yeah,” he breathed, “I… I can’t let you go, not again.”

“Leon,” she said, shaking her head. She reached up, cupping his cheek and pulling him down to rest his forehead on hers. “I have to do this next part  _ alone _ .” 

“No,” he shook his head, resting his hands on her waist, “No, Ada, please—”

“You have to trust me, Leon. After that… I’ll be all yours,” she smiled a little, gently taking his face in her hands and brushing her thumbs over the rough stubble on his jaw. She leaned forward and kissed his nose. “I promise.” 

“When?” He murmured, “Where?” 

“Two months,” she said, “I’ll send you coordinates when the time is up.” 

“Ada, two whole months?” He frowned, shaking his head. “What if something happens? What about the baby? What if—” She cut him off, gently pressing her finger to his lips. 

“I’ve lived a  _ very  _ dangerous life, Leon. I need to burn some bridges. I need to make sure all deals are squared and sealed away. No debts left to pay, no one left unsatisfied. And then I need to disappear. If… If we’re going to have this baby…” she pressed a hand to her middle, “I want to make sure he or she grows up in a world that is  _ safe _ . Safe from my past.” 

“But two—”

“Two months is just enough time for people to forget about me,” she smiled mischievously. “Don’t worry. I’ll be somewhere safe and far away.” 

“Then let me come.” 

“Two people makes it less safe. Especially when I’m on the move. Besides, I know you’ll have strings to tie up, reports to write… Now go, Leon… let me do this—” before she could finish he leaned close and kissed her mouth. She tensed for a moment, and then melted into his embrace, despite the inferno around them. She trailed her arm around her shoulder, pulling him close and deepening their kiss, tilting her head and arching into his touch. 

“Come back to me,” he whispered, pulling away only to rest his forehead to hers, “Please. Promise you’ll come back to me.” 

“I will,” she said. 

“Two months,” he said. He didn’t want to let go. 

She nodded once, her forehead bumping his gently. 

“Remember,” he said, “I’ll miss you. Until then. Always.” 

“Go, Leon,” she breathed. 

He slipped away from her embrace, turning to dash down the hall back towards Helena, but paused before the turn. 

“I’ll miss you too,” her voice echoed down the hall. And he thought maybe his ears had deceived him. He spun around, but Ada was gone. Only flames—hungry, devouring flames—remained.  _ Two months.  _ Every minute he would be waiting… counting down the seconds… wondering how long until he knew she was  _ safe _ . 


	5. Chapter 5

“You’ve been glancing at your watch every minute now,” Helena whispered, leaning almost conspiringly across her desk, closer to Leon’s. “Eager for vacation, huh?” 

“It’s been months since I’ve had one,” Leon groaned, running his fingers through his hair and turning back to the computer on his desk. “You know that as well as I do.” He was nervous. Two weeks of vacation time. How likely was it he could get through that without someone calling him in for some disaster? Maybe he’d smash his phone once he was out of here just for good measure. 

Two weeks ago he had gotten a letter with no return address. He tore it open the moment he was alone, pulling out soft, plain paper, the handwriting was familiar. And at the bottom instead of a name was the lipstick mark he had grown so accustomed to.  _ Ada _ . He had felt a thrilling jolt at knowing that this was her at last, after weeks of worrying. 

She had given him the address where they could meet and had given him a date. He had immediately requested the time off. And this past week he had worked harder than ever, trying to complete the last of his reports from the past month. He missed her  _ so _ much, it ached to think about. He had been so  _ worried _ . All the time. But he knew that Ada was incredibly good at covering her tracks. 

With the information she had left for him in her little compact, Leon had been able to not only clear his own and Helena’s names, but also  _ Ada Wong’s _ . The truth—everything that Simmons had done—had been on that drive. Not only condemning him but condemning Carla Radames as well as the instigator of the attacks in China. It was proof that Ada Wong was  _ not  _ tied to Neo-Umbrella at all. It had been an incredible relief to him—to know the truth. But he also knew it was for the baby as well. He had thought about that a lot over the past couple of months—how Ada was leaving the dangers of her life behind for the sake of their child. The sacrifices she was making to keep them safe… He felt pride in his heart, adoration for her. And if he could give up anything and everything for Ada Wong and their baby, he  _ would _ … without hesitation. 

Now, he had only minutes left before he could leave the office, say goodbye to work for two whole weeks, and finally be with her. 

“Hey,” Helena said, gesturing to the files on his desk. “That’s not going to put itself away, Agent Kennedy.” 

“Right,” Leon nodded, rising to his feet and moving over to the file cabinet. 

“You really are somewhere else entirely,” Helena laughed. “Why don’t you just go?” 

“Huh?” 

She laughed again, waving her hand, “Just go, Leon. I’ll finish up this report and submit it. Get out of here. She’s waiting for you.” 

He was frozen for one moment, staring at his partner before he dove forward, grabbing his coat and phone. “I owe you,” he said, “Thank you.” 

“It’s fifteen minutes, you don’t owe me anything.” Helena scoffed, “Just tell her I said hi.” 

Leon nodded and dashed out the door, down the hall, dodging coworkers until he made it to the elevator, pressing the “close doors” button frantically. A two-hour drive awaited him. He had already packed his little suitcase—overnight bag really—and had stored it in the back of his Jeep. He had wanted to be ready to leave as soon as he was done with work. 

Leon made the drive in silence, except for the occasional direction from his GPS. And, he worried the whole way there. Scenarios of what he might encounter when he finally saw her again filled his head. Some were good. Some were tragic. He had no idea what to expect, and it was driving him crazy. The long ride finally ended at a twisting dirt road. He wasn’t too far away from a town, and there were still houses around, but the distance between them was much more than in the suburbs. It was private, with beautiful views of the surrounding forest. 

His GPS let out a chime when he finally found the right numbers tacked to a post by a long gravel driveway.  _ “You have arrived.”  _ He took in a deep breath, swerving into the driveway and driving to the top of a rather tall hill. He parked his Jeep, staying in his driver's seat and staring at the house. There was a small chance, he vaguely considered, that this wasn’t Ada… but rather a trick of some sort. The house looked nice, log cabin style, the front door painted a soft baby blue just beyond a long front porch with a porch swing. He hesitated, but then finally worked up the courage to step out. It was Ada, it had to be. 

He was reaching into the back and pulling out his bag when he heard the front door of the cabin creaked on its hinges and the sound of footsteps on the front porch drew Leon’s gaze towards the house once more as he shut the car door, bag in hand. 

His heart skipped a beat when he saw her, standing on the porch in a thick, red knitted sweater and black leggings. When their eyes met she smiled, and he dropped his bag in the gravel driveway, rushing towards her, throwing his arms around her waist and lifting her up, holding her tight, burying his face against the thick, soft material of her sweater. “I missed you.” He mumbled, still holding her up off the ground. Familiarity. The sweet smell of her perfume, the way she wrapped her arms tight around his shoulders. The feel of her in his embrace,  _ oh god,  _ how he had missed it. He pulled away just enough to look up at her. “Did you miss me?” He teased. 

“In your dreams,” Ada smirked, only to brush her thumb along his jaw and then tilt her head, closing the distance between them so she could kiss him. 

“Damn, you’re beautiful,” he whispered before he could stop himself. She laughed, and he realized that there were tears in her eyes. She  _ did  _ miss him, he realized, and it made his heart quicken. 

“Leon,” she said, gently running her fingers through his hair and then kissing his forehead. He tightened his embrace around her, tilting his head and pressing a kiss to her cheek. She blinked down at him, eyes wide. “You shaved.” 

He laughed out loud, still giddy at being with her again, “Yeah, had to be presentable, you know?” 

“Mm…” she kissed him again, and then pressed soft kisses along his jaw, her hand trailing into his hair and tightening on his blonde locks as she sank further into his embrace. She pulled away, looking down at him with pure warmth in her gaze. He had never seen her emotions so open in her expression. But now he saw her feelings for him, relief, joy, all in her eyes, and in the way she smiled. He soaked it all in, praying he would remember this moment forever. “Come inside,” she finally said. And he nodded, gently setting her down on solid ground. She straightened his shirt and then turned towards the house. 

“Your hair!” He said, only just realizing. Ada looked back, smirking, mischief written in her eyes. 

“Do you like it?” She asked, running her fingers through her pixie cut. “I had to change it up quite a few times over the last couple of months. You should have seen me when I was blonde.” He couldn’t imagine her blonde, and he laughed a little. He secretly hoped that their baby would have the same raven tresses as their mother. 

He reached out, taking her hand again. He wanted to hold her in his arms once more, to make sure this was real—he wasn’t dreaming. She smiled up at him teasingly, “Don’t forget your bag, Leon.” 

He nodded, turning back towards the driveway and dropping her hand. He grabbed his bag just as Ada disappeared inside the little house. 

He smiled, throwing the bag over his shoulder and moving back towards the porch. How utterly normal this all felt. It was like he was home at last. A daydream he hated to admit he indulged in too often came to mind. The thought of coming home to  _ her _ … to children… it seemed all too real now. It made his steps light, and the light blue door seem even brighter and more welcoming. He stepped inside, kneeling down to untie his shoes and kick them off. He could hear Ada just around the corner, in what was presumably the kitchen. 

“I have something I want to show you. I ordered pizza if you want some.” 

_ Pizza.  _ He laughed a little at the thought. There was only one time he and Ada had stayed home, ordered pizza, and watched a movie. It was when he had been sick a year or two ago. They were  _ supposed _ to go to a really fancy place. He had dressed up but Ada had refused to go out.  _ “You need rest, Leon _ .” He remembered resting his head in her lap, her hand gently stroking his hair as he drifted off to sleep with the movie on in the background.  _ “You know, you’re really soft, Ada,”  _ he had murmured. 

The sound of the tap turning out brought Leon back to his senses. The small house that Ada was renting… or staying in anyways… was warm and cozy. A rather modern home, with simple furniture. The kitchen was pretty with white tiles by the sink and a white granite countertop. Ada had set the pizza out on the island counter where the stools were and was pouring a couple of glasses of water. She turned to face him, her expression rather serious. 

“I know you must have… so many questions… I’m so sorry that I didn’t have the time to answer them when we were in China—”

“Actually, I think I’ve worked some of it out,” Leon said, scratching the back of his head. “I mean… it’s easy to know how this happened, right?” He laughed. “So… you…” he hesitated. 

Ada frowned, crossing her arms and leaning back against the counter, “I’m about eighteen weeks along now,” she said. 

It was real. He had known, since China, that Ada hadn’t been lying. But somehow, hearing it again like this confirmed it. “Heh…” he glanced up at her, “I still… I still can’t believe this is real.” He frowned, “And you…” he hesitated. “Ada, this is what you want?” 

She glanced down at her arms, still crossed over her chest, “I’ll admit… at first I was apprehensive. Well…” He could read her expression, she wasn’t telling the full truth. That was typical of Ada though when it came to her feelings. He couldn’t even remotely imagine how she felt when she first found out. “But…” she interrupted his thoughts. “But when I really asked myself what I should do the answer was so, so simple. This baby is  _ Leon’s _ baby.  _ Our  _ baby. And just knowing that _ you’re _ the father,” she smiled a little, “Well… I’d be lying if I said I never daydreamed about it. You should know that you’ve always been the exception, Leon. To all my rules.” She glanced away, her cheeks tinting pink, “I  _ love _ you. And… it’s only been eighteen weeks, but I already love this baby…” She glanced up and Leon started, seeing tears in her autumnal eyes. 

“Ada…!” 

She laughed a little, wiping a tear away from her cheek, “I just hope they have your stupid smile.” 

He came around the counter, gently reaching out to cradle her shoulders with his hands. “Don’t cry,” he said gently. 

“It’s nothing,” she waved her hand, “Just these awful hormones.” She took in a deep breath. “Do you have any questions… about anything?” 

“The week before China you were with me, and you must have known. Why didn’t you tell me then?”

Ada nodded, “I knew… I just didn’t know how to tell you, Leon. I wanted to tell you at the right time, and in just the right way.” She turned away from him, moving back towards the front door. There were hooks just around the corner. She came back with a little black purse. “Hold out your hand.” 

He frowned but did as she asked. 

She paused, her hand still in her little bag, “ _ This  _ is how I wanted to tell you.” Before he could say anything else she pulled out two little white shoes, setting them in his palm. “You’re going to be a father, Leon,” she said. A wide, uncontainable smile crossed his lips, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes.  _ I’m… going to be a father. _

“ _ You  _ were going to tell me like  _ this _ ?” He teased. 

Ada nodded, “I think announcements like this are silly, but I thought you’d—” She cut herself off, brows furrowing as she met his eyes to see a tear rolling down his cheek. “Leon!” she gasped, reaching out to brush away the tear. “What’s wrong?” 

“Do you remember when we first met?” He asked, cupping the tiny tennis shoes in his hands. 

“Yes,” Ada frowned. 

“I was young and stupid,” he said, “Naive. But… back then I had my whole life worked out, you know? I was going to be an officer in Raccoon City! The start of my career. One day I might meet a girl, and we’d get married, and have a little house with a fence and a dog—” 

“ _ You  _ want a dog?” Ada laughed. 

“Not anymore,” Leon grimaced, “But back then I did. I always imagined two or three kids. I had it all worked out, didn’t I?”

“Nothing really ever goes the way we plan it,” Ada said. 

“No,” he whispered, “It doesn’t. And, I knew… the moment I met you… it wouldn’t.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“There was always something about you,” he smiled, “That made me think you were…” he hesitated, “You were  _ it _ . The  _ one _ . But that our destinies were too confused… so knotted and tied up, that we’d never untangle them enough to have what I had planned out for so long. I  _ never _ imagined…” he whispered, holding up the tiny shoes, “That I’d have  _ this _ .” 

Ada leaned closer and gently wiped another tear from his cheek with her thumb, brushing back his blonde hair and kissing his cheek. “You won’t have to  _ imagine _ anymore,” she smiled. 

He glanced back down at the shoes. Both of them fit in the palm of his hand. He had seen babies before, of course, but he hadn’t thought much about how small they really were. “These are so small,” he said, somewhat in awe. 

Ada nodded, “These are newborn-sized.” 

He was quiet for a moment, holding the shoes, before he glanced up once more. “Are we crazy?” 

“Yes,” Ada said, putting a hand on her hip. “Always have been.  _ Especially _ for letting this pizza go cold. Come on, let's eat. I’m starving.” If she was sure, he was surer than ever. For once, in the longest time, he felt hope, warmth, and happiness. 

* * *

He hadn’t been able to stop looking at the shoes, setting them on his nightside stand in the master bedroom while he got ready for bed, pulling off his jeans and tossing them aside, and fishing his pajama pants out of his bag. Ada appeared from the bathroom after brushing her teeth, gently running her fingers through her hair and sliding open the dresser drawers. She must have been here a few days before he arrived. He watched her with a warm smile on his lips, as she slid off her pants, pulling on pajama shorts. 

“Did I tell you I missed you?” he asked. 

“Maybe once or twice,” Ada teased, before pulling off her top and retrieving a tank top from another drawer. When she turned around to face him Leon had to do a double-take. 

Ada laughed, as if she had completely been expecting such a dramatic reaction, and turned to her side, placing a hand on her middle so he could see better. He hadn’t seen it before with her thick sweater, but he was sure now. She had a little baby bump. 

“You… It… Uh… Ada!” Leon choked. Ada laughed again. She was  _ beautiful _ . And so happy. He had heard people say that expectant mothers were “glowing” before. Now he understood why. 

“The baby book I’ve been reading says the baby’s about the size of a cucumber,” Ada said, crossing the room to her side of the bed, and slipping in under the blankets. Leon shifted so that he was leaning against the headboard beside her. 

“You’ve been reading, huh?” 

“I don’t know about you but I’d like to know what’s happening to my body,” she said matter-of-factly. “Here,” she took his hand, resting it on her little baby bump, and set hers over top of his. 

“Do they kick yet?” 

“Mm… no. Too early I think,” Ada shrugged. 

“Have you seen a doctor at all?” 

“A few!” Ada said, “Different places. Which reminds me,” She hesitated, glancing up at him. “Do you want to know if we’re having a boy or girl?” 

Leon blinked, not registering what she had said for a moment, before bursting out, “You know?!” 

“No, not yet,” Ada said, softly, resting her head against his shoulder. “But we can find out soon if you want.” 

Leon wrapped his arm around her, holding her close, breathing in the sweet vanilla of her shampoo. “Yeah,” he said, “I’d really like that… if we could find out together?” 

“Of course we can,” Ada murmured sleepily. “But for now, let’s just relax. After all, you’re on vacation. We haven’t seen each other in two months. I want to spend the next two weeks… just with  _ you _ .” 


	6. Chapter 6

Ada woke up before Leon, which wasn’t unusual. He was a late sleeper. Usually, she would slip out of bed before him, to work or to find some coffee. But for the past two weeks she hadn’t minded at all, staying in bed late and soaking in his warmth, just  _ being _ with him. Maybe she  _ had _ missed him more than she originally thought. This morning he had one arm draped lazily across her middle, his head resting lightly against her shoulder. His hair was a mess: so she gently ran her fingers through it, brushing it smooth. 

The past couple weeks he had been so happy. She had never seen him smile so much, and in turn, she had felt almost giddy to be with him, to share this strange… unpredictable adventure together. Despite all the doctor visits, the positive tests, and even hearing her baby’s heartbeat for herself… it still felt so unreal. 

She wondered, as she lay with him pressing a gentle kiss to the top of his head, what their child would be like. She couldn’t help but imagine a little boy or girl with the pure, sweet innocence of their father, his optimism in their smile, and a familiar shine of hope in their bright blue eyes. She realized that more than anything she hoped that her child would  _ never  _ have to worry. That their baby would grow up safe and happy. With two loving parents to teach them everything they would need to know. Things that she never had, not even when she was small. “You’ll never want for anything,” she whispered. She would do everything in her power just to make her hopes come true. 

“What was that?” Leon mumbled, sitting up just enough that he could look down at her, his eyes still lidded from sleep, and he had lines in his face from Ada’s tank top. Ada gently rubbed her thumb against his cheek, pulling him down for a tender kiss against his lips. 

“Nothing,” she said, “Just talking to the baby.” 

“Mm…” Leon smiled, and his smile was contagious as always. He rested his hand against Ada’s middle, “That’s right. Good morning, kid.” 

Ada stifled a laugh, successfully. And gently slipped out from under Leon’s embrace, swinging her legs over the bed. “I’m going to find something to make for breakfast. I’ll make you some coffee if you want?” 

“No, I’m good. If you can’t have any, I won’t either,” Leon rolled his shoulders, stretching as he sat up. She tilted her head, smiling a little as she paused in the doorway. 

“It’s alright, Leon, really—” 

“No, I’m good. What can I do to help with breakfast?” 

* * *

They mostly ate breakfast in silence. Ada sat beside Leon at the little island counter. He was clearly hungry because he scarfed down the eggs without so much a word, which Ada was somewhat grateful for. She could think in quiet, and she was trying to come up with a way that she might introduce this next topic of conversation. Unfortunately, Leon breached conversation before Ada could. He leaned back in his chair, taking a sip of orange juice, and let out a deep sigh. 

“I have to go back to work the day after tomorrow,” he said. 

Well, this was a better topic than Ada could hope for. She had been expecting that Leon would have to go back to work soon, preparing for it really. Thinking about him leaving was surprisingly painful. 

“The house rental ends then as well,” she said simply, though there was so much more she wanted to say. She dared to glance at him out of the corner of her eye as she took another bite of her eggs. He was clearly concerned, hands resting on his knees as he leaned forward in his chair. 

“Where will you go?” He asked. 

“I…” she glanced away, frowning. Why was it so complicated to tell him what she was really thinking. She wasn’t ready to leave him… the thought of doing this  _ alone _ , it terrified her. Though she knew she would get through it, she knew she was capable, there was still the thought at the back of her mind… her wish for their child, the hope that Leon would say those words he did all those years ago.  _ “I’m not just going to leave you _ … _ you’re stuck with me.”  _ Instead, she took another bite of her toast, and he didn’t press her, turning back to his own empty plate, scrapping the crumbs from his own bread into a neat little pile in the center of the dish, before he finally spoke again. 

“Ada… you can come stay with me if that’s something you’d want.” 

Relief filled her as she let out a deep sigh. “With the baby coming that might be a good idea,” she said, each word measured. But she knew it wasn’t the only reason, and she cursed herself internally for keeping her emotions so in check. 

“Yeah,” Leon said, his smile relieved, but somehow tense at the same time as if he knew she wasn’t saying everything but he wasn’t sure what she was withholding from his. Ada set aside her fork and turned to face him. 

“Leon, these past two weeks have been really nice,” she met his eyes, “And… staying with you is more than I could ever hope for.” 

His expression lit up and he reached out to take her hand. “Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.” He offered her one of his sweet smiles, “I  _ really _ missed you, Ada.” He raised her hands to his lips, turning his head to kiss the inside of her palm gently. “I always do. Don’t you remember?” 

“Yes,” she said warmly, “You know I’m happier with you anyways.” She cupped his cheek and brushed her thumb along his jaw. “You need to shave again.” 

He laughed, standing and closing the distance between them to kiss her lips. “Yes, ma’am.” 

* * *

Leon leaned against the bathroom sink in the master bathroom, soaking in the quiet besides the sound of running water. He smiled at himself in the mirror, and then almost laughed. These past two weeks he had been so happy. When was the last time he had felt this way? It must have been the last time he was with Ada. Anytime he was with Ada it made him feel at home. He leaned over the sink, splashing water on his face. Was it selfish of him to hope that from now on they could always be like this? Maybe. He knew that he would still have work, sending him out on assignments… and Ada… well, he wasn’t sure what Ada was going to do. She had told him that she had severed ties with all her former clients.  _ Neatly _ . She had emphasized. 

Leon dried his face, running his fingers through his hair and looking back up into the mirror. Ada was leaning against the doorway, her arms crossed, a smirk on her lips. “Something on my face?” Leon grinned in the mirror. Ada shook her head, crossing the room and taking his hand, pulling him around so he was facing her. She gently cupped his face in her hands and smiled, “Looking sharp, handsome.” 

“Mm…” Leon dared to lean forward and kiss her, gently wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close. She pulled away only to kiss his jaw and then his neck, pulling him deeper into her embrace. He took in a deep breath and then let out a soft sigh as she kissed him on his mouth again, one hand finding his belt and pulling him back towards the bedroom. 

“We have one  _ whole day _ left,” she purred. 

“Hmm…” Leon grinned, “Guess we should make the most of it.” 

* * *

“What are you doing?” the sound of Leon’s voice, thick with the grogginess of sleep from his nap, made Ada turn to glance at him in the entry of the kitchen. “I thought you would stay in bed longer,” he looked disappointed, his lower lip pouting a little. 

“I’m making cookies,” Ada explained, dropping a few chocolate chips in her mouth and letting them melt on her tongue. “I was hungry. Did you miss me?” 

“What kind of question—” Leon scoffed, “Did I miss you?” He laughed, crossing the kitchen and wrapping her in a hug from behind, pressing a kiss to her neck. “I see you’ve helped yourself to my wardrobe.” Ada suppressed a laugh as his kisses tickled her neck. She had climbed out of bed and slipped on one of his t-shirts. 

“It’s comfortable,” Ada shrugged, “Fits better.” She pressed her hand to her little baby bump, trying not to smile too much, and utterly failing. 

“You’re not  _ that  _ far along, you know,” Leon teased. 

Ada scoffed, “I’ll have you know I’m already halfway there. Besides, I feel big already.” 

Leon rested his hands gently on her middle and leaned his head against hers. “You’re  _ beautiful _ ,” he said. 

“And  _ you _ …” She paused, turning in his arms, “Need to let go so I can finish making these.” 

“Yes, ma’am.” Leon pouted a little, pleadingly. 

“What?” She huffed, knowing full well what he wanted. 

“One kiss and then I’ll help you out?” 

Ada couldn’t hide the smile that touched her lips. “Alright. Deal, handsome.” She cupped the back of his neck, drawing him in for a sweet kiss. 

“Mm…” Leon hummed as she pulled away. “Chocolate.” 

Ada shook her head, turning to hide her laugh. “Here. You can measure the flour.” 

Cookies, dinner, and then a movie led to Ada drifting off to sleep on Leon’s shoulder on the couch. He held her close and let her drift in and out of sleep while the movie played, and when the credits finally rolled he offered to carry her off to be, to which she agreed wholeheartedly. But after Leon drifted off to sleep Ada was wide awake, staring at the ceiling of their little home-away-from-home. Tomorrow they had to pack and leave. These last two weeks had been nothing but magical. Now… she was scared, something she hated to admit to herself. 

What kind of troubles would they face in the real world, away from the fantasy of peace and perfection? She thought of their baby, a reality that was now inching closer and closer. She was terrified that she wasn’t ready, that she would  _ never _ be ready. She knew that being a mother must be hard work, and she was ready to take on that work, but what if she just wasn’t  _ good _ at it. 

Leon lay deep in sleep next to her, his back to her. She wondered what he was dreaming about. Once he had told her that he often dreamed of her. It had nearly shattered the armor she kept so close to her heart. Now, maybe he was dreaming of meeting their baby. Leon had  _ always _ wanted to be a father… And she knew he would be  _ so _ good at it. 

Ada rolled onto her side, wrapping her arm around him and pressing her face against his back.  _ Stupid, perfect man.  _ She frowned. It had always frustrated her how much she had grown to care for him—how she had fallen head over heels for him. 

She pushed herself closer to him, shaping her body around his, soaking in his warmth. He stirred, but didn’t wake, so she let out a sigh, closing her eyes, hoping to ignore the awful thoughts and drift off into some sort of fitful sleep. But just as she was seemingly falling asleep, she felt something different… She paused, rolling over onto her back, just a little. There it was again… in her middle… some sort of fluttering.  _ Fluttering _ … that sounded familiar… Her eyes widened as realization suddenly dawned on her and she turned to wake her partner. 

* * *

It was late when Leon was woken up to a frantic patting at his back… past midnight at least. His eyes burned when he blinked awake in the dark. He was exhausted. They had stayed up too late, in each others’ arms. God, he loved this. These past two weeks everything had been perfect. It felt so utterly sweet and domestic… so different from the events two months ago. It was only on rare occasions that it was like this, on their little quiet moments away, just holding each other,  _ being _ with each other in quiet warmth. It was nice… 

“Leon! Wake up.” The frantic patting continued.  _ Did I drift off again?  _ And then he realized… 

“Wh-what happened?! What’s wrong?” He scrambled to sit up, turning to face Ada, eyes wide with panic, but she looked positively delighted, which was something he wouldn’t typically associate with her. 

“I think the baby’s kicking!” she whispered, her hand was pressed gently to her little baby bump. Leon blinked, taking a moment to process what she’d said. 

“Wait… really?” 

She took his hand, pressing it to her middle, “Do you feel it?” 

Leon frowned. Ada was warm against his cool hand. He waited patiently for a moment, but he didn’t feel anything. 

Ada frowned, “I think they stopped.” 

“Think?” 

“It’s hard to tell,” she said, “It’s just a little fluttering… Did you feel it?” 

“...no…” he said, trying not to sound too disappointed and failing  _ miserably _ . 

She tilted her head a little where she lay against the pillows, “Aw, Leon,” she smiled, “Don’t be too upset,” she reached out to pull him back into her arms. “We have four whole months left… plenty of opportunities.” 

He settled down in her arms again, taking in a deep breath and closing his eyes. “You’ve been taking this all really well,” he said softly. 

Ada laughed bitterly as if she couldn’t believe what he said. “I suppose I’m trying to take it one day…. No. One  _ hour _ at a time.” She paused, gently brushing her fingers through his hair. 

“What?” he murmured sleepily, “I can tell you want to say something else.” 

“I don’t think I could do it if I didn’t know for sure that you would  _ never _ leave,” she said teasingly. 

Leon sat up, looking down at her with a deadly serious expression, “Never doubt that, Ada. I’m not leaving you. Ever. You’re both stuck with me.” Then he offered her his beautiful smile, and for one moment Ada could see his younger self there.  _ “I’m not just going to leave you.”  _ Her heart lurched, remembering his expression then, how pained he had been, how he held on so tight to her, and despite  _ everything  _ the softness of their first kiss. All of it leading to this moment… 

Now, Leon settled down beside her again, curling up against her.  _ I love you.  _ She thought, words that came so much easier to her now than they ever had. And somehow… despite everything… Leon had found it in his heart to love her in return. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posted a little later than usual, but that might be because I'm working on a BIG project. Shh... 🤫


	7. Chapter 7

“Good morning, Agent Kennedy,” someone said as Leon exited the elevator on his floor of the old government building. “How was your vacation?” 

Leon straightened his leather coat, “It was great,” he said, crossing the room towards his desk, “I really needed it.” He shed his coat, tossing it over the back of his chair and ran his fingers through his hair before turning with a grimace towards the stack of paperwork on his desk. _Damn, straight back to the grind, huh?_ He grabbed the folder on the top, slapping it down over his keyboard and flipping it open. 

“Hey,” someone patted him on the shoulder, “Look who’s back.” Helena came around him into view and set a to-go coffee cup in front of him. “I brought you a latte.” She dropped down into her chair across from him and Leon let out a sigh of relief. 

“Thanks. I didn’t have any this morning.” Leon took a sip of his drink and frowned, rising to his feet, “I’m gonna grab some sugar from the lunchroom.” 

Helena laughed, and shrugged her shoulders, logging into her computer. When Leon came back, she glanced up again and then set her chin in her hand raising one eyebrow. 

After a moment Leon let out a sigh, “What is it?” 

“How was it?” Helena grinned. 

“How was what?” 

“Your vacation, Leon!” She gasped, exasperated, then lowered her voice to a whisper, “Was she happy to see you? When will you be seeing her next?” 

“It was good,” Leon said, trying to focus on stirring the sugar into his coffee a little more frantically than necessary. 

“Come on, Leon,” Helena insisted. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

He sighed, taking a sip of his drink and then glancing across his desk to his partner with a little smile, “She’s staying with me,” he said simply, stirring the coffee once more. “She's going to make an appointment. We’re going to find out if the baby is a boy or girl.” 

Helena’s eyes lit up, “I want to be the first to know!” she said, clasping her hands together. 

“So far you’re the only one who knows,” Leon laughed, nervously, rubbing the back of his neck, “About any of this.” 

“Knows about what?” Leon practically jumped, almost spilling his coffee everywhere. Ingrid Hunnigan was standing right behind him, her laptop in hand. 

“Uh…” 

“Nevermind that,” Hunnigan waved her free hand, “Those papers there,” she said, gesturing to a green folder on Leon’s desk, “Are for your look-over. Different cases people _claim_ have a connection to Simmons and the C-Virus. They want you and Helena’s _expert_ opinion, alright?” 

“Right,” Leon nodded, trying not to breathe out a sigh of relief. “Thanks, Hunnigan.” 

“Welcome back, Leon,” Hunnigan smiled, moving back towards her own desk. 

“Lots of work to catch up on, huh?” Helena laughed. 

“Yeah,” Leon groaned, flipping through the folder he already had open. 

“I was thinking,” Helena said, tapping her pen against her chin, “Maybe I’ll come by your apartment and drop off some freezer meals or something… sometime. You’ll both be busy getting ready for the baby… I’d like to help out—”

“Helena, you really don’t need to—”

“And imagine when the baby is finally here. You’ll both be so busy. I’ll _definitely_ be stopping by then, to drop food off. And to meet him or her of course,” she beamed. She paused thoughtfully, “You and she are going to have a beautiful baby, Leon.” 

Leon felt his face go hot. He couldn’t pretend he hadn’t thought about it, though he had always brushed aside the thoughts. Having kids, especially with the woman of his dreams, had seemed impossible at this point. The fact was, this baby was like one of his many dreams come true. And now that Helena brought it up, he remembered those times, so long ago when he was naive and hopeful and a daydreamer… thinking about what he and Ada might be like as parents, what they might name their children…. silly, impossible things… now suddenly _very_ possible. 

“Thanks, Helena,” he said softly, before focusing on the files on his desk. 

* * *

Leon unlocked the door to his apartment, and stepped inside, pulling off his coat and kicking off his shoes. It had been another boring day, thankfully, with more than enough research and paperwork to keep him busy. It was nice to be home at last though, so he didn’t have to think. He ran his fingers through his blonde hair, taking in a deep breath and stepping around the corner to see Ada sitting on his couch, her laptop in her lap, she was typing furiously and glanced up when she saw him step in. A soft, relieved smile touched her red-tinted lips. “Leon,” she said softly. 

“Hey, uhhh… what are you working on?” 

“My new job,” she said nonchalantly, focusing on the computer again. Leon hesitated, unable to help the pang of worry that rose in his middle. Ada glanced up with a sigh, “Sit down. It’s not what you think.” 

Leon sat down beside her and she gestured to the computer screen, “I’m just doing things….” she frowned, gesturing to the room around them, “In the safety of my home… that the police won’t take care of.” 

Leon grimaced, “Uh… Ada, is that safe?”

“This is cyber stuff, Leon,” she said casually, “No one will _ever_ find out it was me. I’m just finding and deleting pictures that shouldn’t be out there really. Most of them were put up by scumbags and stalkers. People like Simmons really,” she narrowed her eyes, “But on a smaller scale.” 

“People pay you to do that?” 

“Oh yes,” Ada smirked. “And I’m thinking that maybe once the baby’s born I can go do this in person,” she smiled menacingly. “Like a bounty hunter… or a PI.” 

“You’d make a good PI,” Leon said, leaning back, feeling a little more relaxed. 

“Hmm,” Ada mused, “You’re just saying that because you think it sounds _safer_ than a ‘bounty hunter.’” 

“Can you blame me?” Leon frowned, sitting up a little, “I worry about you because I really care about you, Ada!” 

“Tch…” Ada’s cheeks flushed, just barely and she shut her laptop, setting it on the coffee table. “I know you do.” She glanced up at him, cupping his cheek and drawing him in for a soft kiss. “I worry about you too, you know. How about this,” she said, a teasing glint in her eyes, “We start a business together. We can both be PIs. That way you can make sure I don’t do anything too _dangerous_ ,” she purred out the last word, smiling coyly and touching his chest. 

Leon laughed, “You know as well as I do that I’m stuck with the DSO, Ms. Wong.” 

“Mmm… that’s right, _Agent_ Kennedy, how could I forget?” She pulled him in for a gentle hug, kissing the corner of his mouth. He relaxed in her embrace and then frowned, quietly questioning, “Ada? Which last name do you want the baby to have?” 

Ada pulled away to look him in the eyes and without even a second of hesitation, she replied, “Yours. Kennedy.” 

“Are you sure? I don’t mind if—”

“No. I want them to have your last name.” There was an edge to her voice and Leon pulled away more, gently rubbing her shoulders with his hands. 

“Alright,” he said, softly. “If that’s what you want, I’m happy.” 

Ada glanced away, letting out a deep sigh, “I’m sorry for snapping. Wong isn’t a real name, Leon. I hope you know that. But, it’s been so long and I’ve been called by so many different names I can’t really remember if I ever had a real one… a real last one anyways.” She paused, glancing up at him with tears in her eyes, “I want our baby to have something real, something that’s connected to _family_ . My name is _nothing_. Empty. Dead.” 

Leon was quiet for a long moment. How _stupid_ of him to say something like that. He had thought about it before—Ada’s name being an alias, but it had completely slipped his mind now. He reached out, shaking his head, and cupped her cheek. “It’s not like that for me, Ada. Your name is beautiful. And when I hear it I think of all the times we’ve been together, happy…” 

She nodded, offering him a little smile, “This name was supposed to be a throw-away, you know? After Raccoon City… But, the way _you_ said it changed everything. _You_ made this name real to me Leon. You gave me an identity that I could come back to… a solid foundation. This is the name I choose. Ada Wong. Well…” she trailed off, glancing up at him teasingly, “Wong for _now_ anyways.” 

He felt heat rise to his cheeks again. _No, she couldn’t mean it like that_. 

“I want our baby to have your name,” she repeated. 

“Alright,” he smiled, wrapping an arm over her shoulder. “Kennedy it is then. Now we just have to figure out their first name.” 

“That’s right!” Ada beamed, “I wanted to tell you, I have an appointment next week for an ultrasound. So we’ll know then… if it’s a boy or girl.” She rose to her feet, moving towards the kitchen, but then she paused and turned around, “You can come if you want.” 

“I can?!” He grinned, sitting up. 

“Well, yes,” Ada rolled her eyes, teasing smile on her lips, “You’re the father, aren’t you?”

“I’ll be there,” he said, “Just tell me the time and place.” 

She rested her hands on her hips, tilting her head a little with an adoring smile on her lips. “Oh Leon… What would I do without you?” 

* * *

Dinner had consisted of sandwiches and Leon’s promises to go grocery shopping after work tomorrow. _“I don’t really keep it stocked up here… since I’ve been moving around a lot. Especially since I was gone for two weeks…”_ he had said. Now they were relaxing on the sofa, Ada on her phone, following another lead for her new case, Leon was falling asleep with his head in her lap, a book in hand, but slowly falling to his chest. He was cute like this, his hair somewhat a mess, his eyes fluttering closed. She wanted to gently brush her fingers through his hair, but didn’t want to disturb him. He had told her he’d had a long day, and he had plenty more waiting for him tomorrow. It’d be better if he got all the sleep he could. 

She was just focusing back on her work when she felt that familiar fluttering… this time more pronounced, and she paused, making sure it really was what she thought it was before she reached out and brushed her hand over Leon’s forehead and through his hair. 

“Leon, wake up,” she said. 

He blinked groggily, the book he had been reading sliding from his chest and to the floor. “Wha…?” 

“The baby’s kicking,” she said, taking his hand before he could even sit up, and pressing it against her little baby bump. He went still, blinking away sleep, focusing, and then his blue eyes went wide. 

He sat up a little, offering Ada a wide grin, “I feel it!” he whispered. She nodded, unable to hide her own smile. He pulled away, sitting up and kneeling on the couch cushions beside her, gently pressing his hand to her middle once more. “They’re really moving around, huh?” He grinned. “That’s… that’s our kid.” 

Ada nodded, again, afraid to say anything, still soaking in Leon’s sunshine-like smile and contagious excitement. 

“Today Helena said that they’re going to be beautiful,” he said, “And you know, I’ve always thought that.” 

Ada felt a warmth fill her heart at the words. She hadn’t ever thought about having kids until Leon, but seeing him… “Helena’s right,” she said simply. “You and me? Our baby’s going to be perfect.” Since when was she so affected by sentimental nonsense like this? Maybe Leon had that effect on her, slowly changing her over the years, allowing her to become more open to such warmth and emotion. He leaned in close, tilting his head to kiss her softly. 

“I’m glad you think so too.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for your interest in my big project last time. It has been announced! I think if you like aeon you might be interested! Check out part-of-me-zine on tumblr or part_of_me_zine on twitter for more info! <3 :D Super excited!


End file.
